Palmetto State News

Today, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) expressed his support for the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) after voting in favor of it. Senator Scott emphasized the importance of South Carolina to the nation's military readiness and highlighted his efforts to increase pay for servicemembers, improve defense infrastructure, and eliminate certain policies from the military.

"South Carolina is pivotal to our nation’s military training and readiness. In an effort to bolster our armed services, I successfully fought to raise pay for our servicemembers, revitalize defense infrastructure, and rid our military of woke policies," said Senator Scott. "I am proud to support this year’s NDAA. As chaos unravels on the global stage, it is vital that we equip our servicemembers and military with the necessary resources to deter threats at home and abroad while we continue to support our allies in the face of aggression."

The FY25 NDAA authorizes $182.7 billion for supporting servicemembers, which exceeds the requested amount by $865.1 million. The funding includes a 4.5 percent pay raise for military personnel and a 14.5 percent increase for junior enlisted members.

Additionally, the bill restricts funding related to Critical Race Theory (CRT) within service academies and Department of Defense schools. It imposes a one-year hiring freeze at the Department of Defense and reallocates over $50 million from DEI programming towards counter-narcotics efforts.

The legislation also provides resources for a new Joint Inter-Agency Task Force South Command and Control Facility aimed at intercepting illegal migrants and narcotics. It supports deploying the National Guard to enhance Border Patrol activities along the southwestern border.

Senator Scott secured several key provisions in the FY25 NDAA:

He ensured passage of the HBCU-Africa Partnership Act through final passage of the FY25 NDAA, which emphasizes Historically Black Colleges and Universities' role in strengthening ties with Sub-Saharan Africa across various sectors such as democracy, education, trade, and resource management. The act encourages partnerships with HBCUs for expertise building in critical areas and directs agencies to assist HBCUs in obtaining federal grants. Additionally, over $100 million is authorized for HBCUs and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).

Senator Scott also achieved passage of both the U.S. Foundation for International Conservation Act and F-16 Simulator Payment Plan (for McEntire JNG) through this year's NDAA.

Specific provisions relating to South Carolina included in this year's NDAA were championed by Senator Scott.