MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Larson (1st District of Connecticut)

Rep. John B. Larson wrote the following op-ed that appeared in the Hartford Courant:

Earlier this month, President Joseph Biden signed legislation to avoid a catastrophic default. While not perfect, the president did an admirable job negotiating with the extreme Republicans who began their tenure in the House majority by attempting to leverage the full faith and credit of our nation with cuts to Social Security and Medicare. In that light, what was agreed to falls far short of these dangerous goals.

Still, we cannot normalize what played out over the last six months. While I would never support a national default, once it became clear that legislation to raise the debt ceiling would pass overwhelmingly, I voted against the legislation to protest the normalization of holding the American economy hostage in order to extract policy goals. It is also why I support ending this recurring threat once and for all.

To understand the radical nature of House Republicans, it is important to understand the debt ceiling in context. Congress has lifted the debt limit almost 80 times since 1960, including three times where Republicans overwhelmingly supported raising it under President Trump. Now, however, we have experienced three occasions where this usually routine process has become a manufactured crisis: 2011, 2013, and 2023. There is no stronger evidence that Republicans’ only use for the debt ceiling is as a political weapon than the fact that they raised the ceiling without dramatics three times under President Trump while he added $8 trillion to the national debt. Yet Republicans demand extractions under Democratic Presidents.

The debt ceiling as it stands is a failed policy, which gives our worst actors the tools to threaten defaulting on payments they themselves voted for in order to extract concessions. Prior to an agreement being reached, I led other members of Congress in urging President Biden to recognize that the debt ceiling is unconstitutional. The 14th Amendment reads, “The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned.”  Bottom line: we must pay our bills to preserve our standing around the globe and the dollar here at home.

There are other ways the debt ceiling can be amended to make its use more responsible. I am working with Democratic Rep. Brendan Boyle (PA-02) on legislation that would empower the secretary of the treasury to initiate increasing the debt ceiling. Should Congress find such an increase irresponsible, it would have 30 days to pass a resolution blocking it. If Republicans think that default is the most responsible course of action, they should be required to put their name behind a vote to do so and make the case to the American public.

It should serve as a warning sign to us all that no sooner than legislation to raise the debt ceiling passed the House, Speaker Kevin McCarthy went on Fox News to say that Social Security and Medicare were only spared because President Biden had walled them off from cuts. McCarthy then announced his intention to go after the Republican Study Committee’s goal of cutting Social Security and Medicare.

The debt limit stands as a tool that empowers those who would threaten Social Security checks, Medicare coverage, and our entire economy to deliver on radical and unpopular political goals. I felt I had to send a clear message: there’s a better way. Once it was clear the nation would not default, I felt it was my responsibility to vote no.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Larson (1st District of Connecticut)

Rep. John B. Larson and former Connecticut Secretary of the State Miles Rapoport wrote the following op-ed that appeared in the Hartford Courant: 

Our democracy only works if The People vote. As U.S. Representative of Connecticut’s 1st Congressional District and as a former Connecticut Secretary of the State, we recognize voting is both a fundamental right and a civic duty. This responsibility is an integral part of making our nation’s policies work and reflect The People. Universal voting is one way we can make that a reality.

We believe it is time for states and the nation to engage in discussions about bold reforms that include and amplify the voices of all Americans. In last November’s midterm elections, both nationally and in Connecticut, we did not hear from more than half of potential voters; 48% voter turnout is not anything to boast about. It is minority rule.

Recognizing voting as a civic duty and a responsibility of all Americans would be a giant step forward to a fully inclusive democracy. For too long, young people, communities of color, and voters without college degrees have been consistently underrepresented every election. And as states across the country try to limit access to the ballot box, making sure every American votes would tear down these barriers and ensure that state and local governments facilitate accessible voting. We can transform our voting culture to fully encourage responsibility and participation in a democracy, which would only further enhance our efforts to educate, engage and provide greater accessibility.

If, as a candidate or a party, you know that every eligible citizen is required to vote, and therefore everyone is listening, you need to speak to everyone and persuade them on the merits of your candidates and ideas.

The analogy with jury duty is a strong one. In the interest of fair verdicts in our courts, it is a responsibility for our citizens to serve on a jury if they are called. As a society we insist that the jury pool reflects all parts of our community. We think the same logic applies to voting; we should insist that the decisions of the government be made by a fully reflective pool of voters.

Today, 26 countries across the globe have universal voting, including Australia, which has used the system for close to 100 years.

How does it work in Australia? First, the government, political parties, and civil society organizations do tremendous outreach. People are then required to cast a ballot, but don’t have to vote for or against anyone; blank ballots allow voters to register their disapproval if they wish. Elections are held on Saturday, and there is a celebratory civic culture. Australia achieves 90% voter participation in every election. The system is popular, and there has never been a serious attempt at repeal.

Connecticut is not alone in this discussion. In the state of Washington, 14 state senators introduced legislation to move toward universal voting; it recently moved out of committee. At the federal level, I was proud to sponsor the Civic Duty to Vote Act in the last Congress, after the concept was put forward by E.J. Dionne and Miles Rapoport in their book, “100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting.” This legislation would require all eligible voters to vote in federal general elections and provide state and local governments with the funding to facilitate it.

Overall, we both believe universal voting can be a “north star” reform and a powerful way to make our democracy fully inclusive and vibrantly participatory. It is absolutely time to begin this vital discussion of ideas, and we celebrate that Connecticut is one of the places advancing this conversation.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Larson (1st District of Connecticut)

Rep. John B. Larson wrote the following letter to the editor that appeared in the Washington Post:

The Feb. 9 news article “Benefits programs get rare consensus” stated that “leaders of both parties have become unwilling to discuss potential changes to Social Security and Medicare.” As chairman of the Social Security subcommittee last Congress and current ranking Democratic member, I know that categorization of “unwilling” is fundamentally false.

Republicans have released plans to cut, privatize and end Social Security. Though in denial, they have proposed using the national debt to leverage those cuts but to date have not presented legislation. In stark contrast, however, Democrats in both the House and Senate have.

In the previous Congress, more than 200 House Democrats supported Social Security 2100 with the goal to lift up the 5 million seniors who receive below-poverty-level checks from Social Security. This plan is a solid start and enhances benefits while eliminating more than 60 percent of Social Security’s projected shortfall, something that hasn’t been done in more than 50 years.

Privately, my Republican colleagues will confide that they know benefits need to be enhanced. However, they criticize it in public hearings while never offering an alternative.

A great service of the fourth estate would be to call on Congress to produce legislation for public consumption and open for discussion in the full light of day, not behind closed doors without any public or political accountability.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Larson (1st District of Connecticut)

Rep. John B. Larson wrote the following op-ed that appeared in Aviation Week:

Over the past year, the public debate on how best to modernize the F-35’s propulsion system has dragged on. We have heard from the military services, the partners and the contractors—no shortage of analyses have looked closely at the potential pathways ahead, which will have major implications for the entire program. The facts and data are clear. It is time for us to modernize the F-35’s existing engine, the F135, and dispel the notion of a second engine once again.

A package of new weapons systems and other planned upgrades for the F-35, known as Block 4, will increase the demands for power and cooling on the engine even further beyond its original specification. Running the engine past its original specifications to meet these needs will shorten its life and increase sustainment costs. Modernizing the existing engine to meet the demands of the F-35’s Block 4 upgrades will allow us to enable critical combat capabilities our warfighters require and at the same time extend engine life and lower sustainment costs. In fact, a block upgrade for the F135, known as the Enhanced Engine Program, is projected to save the F-35 enterprise $40 billion over the program’s lifetime.

Some have argued we should replace the F135 engine instead of modernizing it. They point to the U.S. Air Force’s Adaptive Engine Transition Program (AETP) as an option for future F-35 propulsion. This is a costly and risky proposition. For one, the current AETP engine options can fit into only the conventional-takeoff-and-landing variant of the F-35 used by the Air Force. It requires substantial airframe modifications to fit in the F-35 carrier variant used by the Navy. The AETP engines also are incompatible with the short-takeoff-and-landing variant used by the Marine Corps. The bedrock principle of the F-35 program from the very beginning was commonality. We would build an aircraft as capable as the venerated F-22 Raptor while using a common airframe and engine to maximize economies of scale and allow training, maintenance and supply interoperability with our international partners to lower costs. It is a concept embedded into the very name, the Joint Strike Fighter.

We must also consider the timeline associated with propulsion modernization. The warfighter needs Block 4 as fast as possible. The AETP engine is still a development project that requires billions of dollars more in investment and a steep learning curve. By upgrading the current engine and leveraging its existing production capability and established maintenance network, we can deliver meaningful capability for our military services by 2030, years sooner than an AETP engine would. As recent world events have demonstrated, the threat is here now. We must deliver fully enabled Block 4 aircraft in quantities that matter as a deterrence as rapidly as we can.

The Air Force also must seriously consider if it is willing to sacrifice future F-35 tails in order to invest in a new engine. Today, the average fighter aircraft in the Air Force fleet is 28 years old. The F-35 is the only fifth-generation fighter in production in the U.S. or with our allies. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall himself recently stated: “It’s an expensive engine. It takes a lot just to do the development—several billion dollars. [That] is, in rough terms, 70 F-35s. So are you prepared to have 70 less F-35s in order to have that engine in the ones that you do have?”

And that analysis only takes development costs into consideration. The Air Force estimates it will cost nearly $7 billion just to move an AETP engine into production. Furthermore, the initial costs for a new engine production line and duplicative sustainment network will be high as the industrial base establishes and trains a new workforce, acquires the necessary machinery and learns from its mistakes. The F135 costs 50% less today than it did when the first production engine rolled off the assembly line. It would be a mistake to throw away all those affordability investments and sacrifice F-35s in favor of a new engine, leaving our military services with a capability gap that our aging fighter fleet cannot fill.

The F-35 is the largest defense procurement program in history. At the end of the day, the F-35’s greatest assets are its economies of scale and greater interoperability with our allies. Seeking a replacement engine for the F-35 puts those and the entire program at risk.

Rep. John B. Larson, a Democrat, represents Connecticut’s first congressional district and is the longest serving co-chair of the Joint Strike Fighter Caucus.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Larson (1st District of Connecticut)

U.S. Rep. John B. Larson wrote the following op-ed that appeared in the Hartford Courant:

In 1961, author Joseph Heller introduced “Catch-22″ into the American lexicon. That term referred to a fictional rule requiring repetitive behavior that leads to nowhere. In 2022, we are enduring the same absurdist nightmare visited upon the country by Senate Rule 22, which has single-handedly paralyzed our nation by grinding the U.S. Congress to a halt. Unlike Catch-22, Senate Rule 22 is not fictional, and the resulting dysfunction has become a reality.

How is it, in the past 16 months, the House of Representatives has passed more than 400 bills, 70% of which have been bipartisan-sponsored, and the Senate has yet to vote on any of them?

Democrats control the House, Senate and the presidency, yet bills to protect voting rights, enact gun safety, and safeguard women’s reproductive rights have passed the House of Representatives but never received a vote in the Senate chamber.

Once revered as the world’s greatest deliberative body, the Senate is now the most debilitating threat to our Democratic Republic. How so? Forty-one senators determine what bills the Senate will take up through Rule 22, the cloture vote.

Cloture is a vote to end a filibuster, and under Senate rules, requires 60 votes. Any senator can ask for the cloture vote without even coming to the floor. You should not mistake this for “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” where Jimmy Stewart holds the floor and principally tries to persuade his colleagues. This has nothing to do with principle or policy and everything to do with power and politics.

Is that in the Constitution, you may ask? No. Nowhere in the Constitution does it say you need a super majority to take up House-passed bills. Beyond that, there is nothing in the Constitution that permits a filibuster to block majority rule. That, too, is a rule of the Senate that has become weaponized against democracy.

To be fair, both parties, Republicans and Democrats, have utilized the cloture vote to control the floor and block legislation. It has been used not to improve, amend or pause legislation, but to kill the will of the American people.

Most recently, the negative effects of the filibuster have been compounded by devastating Supreme Court rulings. How is it that in the Senate it only takes 51 votes to confirm three conservative Supreme Court Justices, yet requires 60 votes to safeguard women’s reproductive rights, pass universal background checks on gun purchases and protect the right to vote for all Americans?

If you want to know why things are not getting done in Washington, you need look no further than this unconstitutional rule allowing a minority of senators to block the people’s will. At John Lewis’ funeral, former President Barack Obama lamented that the filibuster needs to go.

With all the threats that we are facing: a global pandemic, Russia, China and foreign and domestic terrorists attacking the very fabric of our democracy, it may shock people to know that over 400 bills representing ideas put forward by the people’s representatives have neither been heard nor voted on in the U.S. Senate.

The Founding Fathers were aware of the threat posed by consolidated power. They meticulously countered it by devising a system of checks and balances whose premise was to govern by majority rule. When asked what kind of government they had created, Benjamin Franklin responded with this warning: “a republic, if you can keep it.”

These are consequential times, and the American people are looking for results and accountability. Rule 22 must go, and the good news is we do not need a constitutional amendment to change this rule. We only need a majority vote from a Senate that cares more about the nation’s well-being than power and politics. We cannot let the procedures of the Senate remain a Catch-22 for our republic.

John Larson represents Connecticut’s First District in Congress.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)

Washington D.C. (February 5, 2025) | Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) has released a letter, signed by the Georgia Republican Congressional Delegation, to newly confirmed Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins expressing deep concern with the VA’s failures in Georgia during the Biden Administration. They are requesting that Secretary Collins visits Georgia VA as soon as possible, to see the scale of work needed to reform the department.

In their letter, the lawmakers highlight the poor service Georgia veterans have received over the past several years, “We write to you today, frustrated with the quality of service to Georgia veterans during the previous administration. Members made multiple attempts to notify the previous administration, and the leadership of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA,) about the problems in Georgia. Those appeals were not only ignored; but the department’s leaders and allies in the previous administration actively campaigned against any positive adjustments. Your predecessor pursued avenues to circumvent the VA MISSION Act, and to keep veterans from accessing quality care.”

“We invite you to visit the Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center and other VA facilities in Georgia at your earliest convenience, and to address these issues. We stand ready to work with you to rectify this past refusal to improve service to our veterans, and to remove any barriers preventing veterans from pursuing the care they deserve,” the lawmakers added.

“Our nation’s brave veterans put their lives on the line to defend the freedoms we all hold dear, and they deserve the highest quality of care this country can provide. The barriers that hinder our veterans from receiving adequate care throughout the state are simply unacceptable. The VA must initiate comprehensive oversight and enhance transparency to guarantee that meaningful improvements are made promptly,” said Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11). “I join my colleagues in calling for complete accountability from the VA; and implore them to act without delay. I also call upon my friend and former colleague, Secretary Collins, to visit our VA facilities in Georgia as soon as possible.”

“Our veterans deserve the best, and I trust Secretary Collins to ensure that our veterans in Georgia and beyond are properly cared for,” said Rep. Austin Scott (GA-08).

“Following the failures of the Biden Administration’s horrendous VA policy in Georgia, we are all excited for incoming VA Secretary, our former colleague and fellow Georgian, Doug Collins, to begin his work. I am excited to join Rep. Loudermilk’s letter and look forward to hosting Secretary Collins in the Peach State soon,” said Rep. Buddy Carter (GA-01).

“The Biden-Harris Administration woefully failed our veterans in the Peach State, resulting in inadequate service, extended wait times, and insufficient access to community care. I’m confident that VA Secretary Collins is equipped with the experience and leadership needed to address these challenges, and I look forward to working with him to ensure our veterans receive the quality care and support that they deserve,” said Rep. Andrew Clyde (GA-09).

“It’s no secret that the Biden administration purposely restricted community care options for America’s veterans by subverting the VA MISSION Act. Doug Collins understands that without these options, our nation’s heroes become trapped in a bureaucratic sea of red tape that does not always work for them,” said Rep. Mike Collins (GA-10). “With 700,000 veterans in our home state of Georgia, I’m proud that Doug Collins has been confirmed as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and I know that he will ensure that our veterans have access to care they need.”

“The Biden Administration failed Georgia’s veterans by ignoring consistent calls for improvements and sidestepping requirements to improve access to quality care. As we begin a new era at the Department of Veterans Affairs, I am confident that Doug Collins will usher in the accountability and reforms needed to ensure our veterans are properly cared for after their service. Secretary Collins certainly has an open invitation to visit the 12th District of Georgia and our VA hospitals in Augusta and Dublin,” said Rep. Rick Allen (GA-12).

Click here to read the full letter.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)

Washington D.C. (January 23, 2025) | Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) issued the following statement after he reintroduced the Modern Employment Reform, Improvement, and Transformation (MERIT) Act to hold inefficient, corrupt government bureaucrats accountable in the 119^th Congress.

“Over the past four years most Americans feared the federal government and its ability to unjustly wield power, and have become tired of funding the fraud, waste, and abuse within our bloated federal bureaucracy. With President Trump back in office, and the passage of my MERIT Act, Americans will have a government they can be proud of again, not one they fear and distrust. We will return our government to one that works for the people, not one that works for self-interests or political agendas. The reforming of the federal government must begin with a dedicated, efficient, and committed workforce, which is why the MERIT Act is an essential step in fixing our broken system.

“Our federal employment system should reward hard work and dedication; however, the current federal employment code protects poor performers and corruption. I have been diligently working on this bill for several years, and now is the time to reform our outdated system. MERIT would create a more efficient and effective government that works for the benefit of the American people. It would restructure the federal employment code by modeling employee dismissal with that of the private sector, and lessen the time it takes to root out misconduct and poor performers.

“I am encouraged that the mission of President Trump, Elon Musk, and the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will complement MERIT, and I look forward to working with them and my colleagues to get it passed in the U.S. House.”

Rep. Buddy Carter (GA-1) stated, “President Trump has been sent to Washington with a mandate from the American people to shake up Washington, and this bill makes good on that promise. I am proud to be joining my colleague, Rep. Loudermilk, in advancing the MERIT Act, which will ensure that inefficient, corrupt government bureaucrats are held accountable.”

“Our federal workforce has been slow and bloated for far too long,” said Rep. Mike Collins (GA-10). “The MERIT Act is a step in the right direction to give the American taxpayers the effective and efficient government workforce that they deserve.”

“Hardworking Americans deserve a government that puts service and results first, not one that protects inefficiency and misconduct. The MERIT Act ensures that federal employees are held to the same high standards as those in the private sector. I’m proud to support this commonsense legislation that prioritizes taxpayers, promotes excellence, and strengthens trust in our institutions,” said Rep. Erin Houchin (IN-9).

“America’s federal workforce must serve the people—not the bureaucracy. The MERIT Act builds on President Trump’s America First agenda by cutting government waste, fraud, and abuse, rooting out misconduct, and holding federal workers to the highest standards. House Republicans will continue to deliver a government that works as hard as the American people—one they can trust to fight for them every single day,” said Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-4).

“Far too many corrupt bureaucrats remain unaccountable,” said Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13). “This inefficiency in government career positions cannot be tolerated. Federal employees must uphold the highest standards of integrity to ensure accountability to the American people. Americans deserve a government that works for them, not against them. Rep. Loudermilk’s MERIT Act is the solution to overhaul the system and end the unchecked misconduct that has undermined the public’s trust.”

“As we work with President Trump to usher in a new Golden Age in America, we must ensure our federal workforce serves with integrity and reflects the highest values of public service. I’m happy to cosponsor the MERIT Act to hold federal employees to a higher standard and make it easier for agency managers to hold workers accountable,” said Rep. Scott Franklin (FL-18).

“Negligent federal employees who push a political agenda and disregard the will of the American people have been given power for too long. Hardworking Americans’ tax dollars should not be spent on poor-performing federal employees who lack accountability. The MERIT Act is a necessary bill that begins to correct a deeply rooted problem in the federal government and returns to agencies the efficiency and integrity they have been missing,” said Heritage Action Executive Vice President Ryan Walker.

“Taxpayers deserve to have outstanding public servants staffing all levels of government. Representative Loudermilk’s MERIT Act is not only prescient but necessary to ensure that the federal government has the flexibility it needs to most effectively staff its workforce and give hard-working Americans confidence that their tax dollars are being properly stewarded and deployed. We applaud Rep. Loudermilk for his effort to restore accountability and transparency to our government,” said Austen Bannan, Employment Policy Fellow, Americans for Prosperity.

“AMAC Action is proud to support the MERIT Act which represents a crucial step towards creating a more efficient and accountable federal workforce. By streamlining the process for addressing poor performance and misconduct, this legislation holds federal bureaucrats accountable. These improvements will ensure that government services are delivered with integrity to America’s seniors who have worked hard and paid taxes their entire lives,” said Rebecca Weber, Chairwoman, AMAC Action.

MERIT ACT Summary:

• Addressing misconduct and poor performance: The MERIT Act repeals the Chapter 43 special process for action against poor performers and bad actors, which is unnecessarily time-consuming, and streamlines the Chapter 75 process for removal or suspension of employees and supervisors.
• Poor Performing Senior Executives:​The MERIT Act permits agencies to remove a senior executive from the civil service for performance reasons, rather than merely demoting the individual to a non-Senior Executive Service (SES) position.
• Recoupment of bonuses and awards: The MERIT Act authorizes agencies to order recoupment of bonuses and awards when performance or conduct issues are discovered and it is determined the bonus or award would not have been paid had these issues been known at the time.
• Felonious service: The MERIT Act affects the retirement benefits of employees who are removed based on a felony conviction for actions taken in furtherance of official duties. The period of service during which the felonious activities occurred will be eliminated for purposes of any annuity computation.

Original co-sponsors include: Reps. Buddy Carter (GA-1), Erin Houchin (IN-9), Rick Crawford (AR-1), Burgess Owens (UT-4), Mike Collins (GA-10), Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13), Dan Webster (FL-11), Tracy Mann (KS-1), Scott Franklin (FL-18), Dan Meuser (PA-9), Brian Babin (TX-36), Claudia Tenney (NY-24), Jim Baird (IN-4), Greg Steube (FL-17), and Tim Burchett (TN-2).

Click here for a one-page summary and here for the full bill text of the Modern Employment Reform, Improvement, and Transformation (MERIT) Act.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)

Washington D.C. (December 13, 2024) | Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11), a U.S. Air Force veteran who served in communications and intelligence, voted for the final negotiated language for H.R. 5009, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY25. This legislation authorizes funding levels for U.S. defense programs and sets key Department of Defense policies. The defense authorization bill passed the House by a vote of 281-140.

“With wars raging in Israel and Ukraine, chaos in Syria, an emboldened Iran, and the growing threat of Communist China, America’s national security depends on the critical need to restore strength in our military and ensure it is well equipped with all the tools it needs to protect our nation. Although not perfect, the NDAA we passed takes steps toward accomplishing that mission. This critical legislation makes vital investments to deter Russian and Chinese aggression, defend our ally Israel, boost our war fighting capabilities, and diminish some of the woke agenda infused in our military in recent years.

“The FY25 NDAA also makes necessary improvements to service member quality of life, provides our troops with needed pay-increases, and secures critical funding for Dobbins Air Reserve Base. I urge the Senate to pass this legislation, and President Biden to sign it without delay.”

Overall House FY25 NDAA Highlights

Georgia’s 11^th Congressional District 

• Authorizes funding at $78 million for the Army Reserve Center at Dobbins Air Reserve Base (ARB).
• Rejects the outgoing Biden Administration’s request to divest certain aircraft, including the F-22 fighters, F-15E fighters, C-130 cargo, KC-135 tanker, E-3 airborne warning, and RQ-4 reconnaissance aircraft to ensure continued air superiority in the near-term
  • Increased C-130 procurement – particularly of C-130Js is critical to strengthening our national security.

• • • Every aircraft made represents the hard work of 3,200 Georgians at Lockheed Martin’s Marietta facility in GA-11.

Military Service Members and Families

• Provides a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers and supports a 4.5% pay raise for Georgia’s 89,900 servicemembers.
• Authorizes funding to build new housing and improve existing housing.
• Expands programs to help Georgia’s 29,300 military spouses attain and retain employment.
• Expands access to childcare for the 47,900 children of military families in Georgia.

Healthcare

• Provides servicemembers with direct access to specialty medical providers by waiving the TRICARE referral requirement.
• Expands the number of doctors working for DoD by extending recruitment bonuses and providing for increased compensation.
• Increases the number of nurses working for DoD by waiving prior federal service hiring requirements.
• Requires DoD to report to Congress on access to care data for all healthcare services to determine where gaps exist.

Ending Wokeness in the Military

• Prohibits funding for the teaching, training, and promotion of Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the military, including at service academies and DoD schools.
• Extends the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) hiring freeze, preventing DoD from establishing any new positions or filing of any DEI positions until GAO completes an investigation of the Pentagon’s DEI programs.
• Prohibits DoD from contracting with advertising firms like NewsGuard that blacklist conservative news sources.
• Permanently bans DoD from providing minors with gender dysphoria medical treatments, like hormones and puberty blockers that could result in sterilization.

Foreign Policy and National Security

• Authorizes $15.6 billion, $5.7 billion more than requested for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative to enhance U.S. deterrence and defense posture in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Establishes the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative to provide the military and security forces of Taiwan with lethal assistance to enable Taiwan to maintain self-defense capabilities.
• Authorizes full funding for joint U.S.-Israel cooperative missile defense programs (Iron Dome, Arrow, David Sling).
• Requires U.S. Central Command to engage in joint anti-tunnelling exercises with Israel Defense Forces.

Oversight and Accountability 

• Requires DoD to promptly notify Congress whenever the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) is unable to perform the functions and duties of the office and transfer them to the deputy secretary or other individual.
• Imposes congressional oversight on any plans to reduce the size of the US Navy fleet.
• Fences funding for the SECDEF until DoD provides Congress with several required reports.

Securing America’s borders 

• Fully supports the deployment of National Guard troops to augment Customs and Border Protection (CBP) activities at the southwest border.
• Authorizes $90 million for construction of a new Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S) Command and Control Facility to detect and interdict illegal migrants and narcotics.
• Increases funding by $10 million for DoD counternarcotics activities.

BACKGROUND:This legislation is based on two bills (1) H.R. 8070, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement Act for Fiscal Yar 2025, which Rep. Loudermilk supported, and passed the House on June 14, 2024; and (2) S.4638, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Yar 2025, which was approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee on June 13, 2024.

The bills are the product of bicameral and bipartisan negotiations led by House and Senate Armed Services Committee leaders and will be sent back to Senate for consideration before going to President Biden for signature.

For more information on the FY25 NDAA, click here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)

Washington D.C. (December 13, 2024) | Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) released the following statement announcing the winners of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge for Georgia’s 11^th Congressional District. The competition is designed for students who aspire to learn computer coding and may have an interest in the STEM fields. North Cobb Christian School students, Kameron Fournillier, Jason Osborn, Nathan Stinson, and Jade Zebrowski won FIRST Place for their CTrack app.

“As a U.S. Air Force veteran who served in communications and intelligence, and owner of an IT services business for over twenty years, I know it is crucial that the next generation is well-equipped with the skills necessary to protect our nation from cyberthreats. Events like the Congressional App Challenge are an excellent way to spark curiosity in computer science and cybersecurity and encourage younger generations to advance their education and pursue careers in these critically important fields. The talent of the students of Georgia’s 11^th Congressional District continues to inspire me, and makes me proud for the future of our country. I appreciate all who participated in this challenge, and congratulate our winners.”

The Congressional App Challenge is a nonpartisan Initiative that encourages students’ interest in computer science, coding, or careers in STEM fields. Established in 2013 as a result of the Academic Competition Resolution passed by Congress, it has increased Congressional dialogue on the subjects of computer science and coding by about two thousand percent. Students can compete individually or in groups of up to four, and are tasked with designing an application (app) of their choosing. Each winning app is featured in the U.S. Capitol, and on the House of Representatives official website (House.gov), which has ten million visitors per year.

11^th Congressional District – 2024 Congressional App Challenge Winners:

1st Place 

Kameron Fournillier, Jason Osborn, Nathan Stinson, and Jade Zebrowski

App: CTrack

School: North Cobb Christian School; teacher: Ms. Long

2nd Place 

Aiden Gilmore, David Wu, Sam Tucker, and Ethan Konnick

App: PlatePulse

School: Mount Paran Christian School

3rd Place 

Miranda Soto and Spencer Horton

App: Managing SHS

School: Barber Middle School; teacher: Saundra Watts

Honorable Mention 

Eugene Kang, Lilah Anderson, Daniel Kunz, and Zachary Pasanen

App: InterIntra

School: Harrison High School

APP BACKGROUNDS

CTrack

Aims to help individuals struggling with keeping up with their monthly expenses. The app allows users to evaluate their budgetary needs and view stock predictions.

PlatePulse

A license plate detection and scanning app that uses a camera feed to scan for license plates. When there is a license plate detected, it runs OCR text recognition software, logs the license plate and time of detection automatically into a Google sheet.

Managing SHS

Designed to help students balance their many responsibilities and commitments in school, clubs, and sports. While many students struggle with managing their time effectively, this app aims to alleviate that challenge by providing a user-friendly platform that organizes various tasks and events efficiently.

InterIntra

At its core, this app uses Sam, a virtual therapist powered by advanced artificial intelligence using OpenAI’s Chat GPT. Users engage in conversations with Sam via a chat interface, simulating real-life social interactions in a safe and supportive environment.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Dwight Evans (2nd District of Pennsylvania)

Navigators help Americans in red, purple & blue states find affordable coverage, including Medicaid which Trump promised not to touch