ENID, Okla. — U.S. Sen. James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) held a digital interview with reporters this week to talk about the National Defense Authorization Act that handed the House in July.The act is known as the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, in honor of the retiring senator from Oklahoma. Lankford thanked Inhofe for having been such a powerful proponent of military affairs, in addition to for having been the rating member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.The NDAA offers with the nationwide protection technique for 2023 in addition to the approaching years. Lankford mentioned the funds was elevated from what the Biden administration had proposed.
“There’s a 4.6% enhance over what the Biden funds proposal was on this,” Lankford mentioned. “We felt just like the Biden funds was not shut to what was wanted for nationwide protection, together with a 4.6% enhance on military pay and civilian pay.”Also included within the NDAA are modifications to affect funding, which can go to assist faculties in areas with a military base which have skilled a loss in tax income, with funding serving to to offset these losses. There additionally was extra funding added to assist get numerous initiatives again on monitor at Tinker Air Force Base, Lankford mentioned.There additionally was language added that might remove the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for military personnel. While not a serious element of the NDAA, Lankford mentioned there have been hundreds of military personnel who’ve by no means heard a response after submitting an exemption from the vaccine on non secular grounds. The modification that might take away the requirement is probably going to cross, Lankford mentioned, and that there can be follow-up work to do with military chaplains and management to see why there wasn’t a solution on the exemptions filed.
“We’re going to comply with again up with the armed companies, as I’ve for the previous 12 months and a half, speaking with chaplains, management of the companies, their manpower, to see why are these individuals getting no reply,” Lankford mentioned.Lankford additionally mentioned there are literally thousands of armed companies personnel in Oklahoma who’re successfully sidelined.“We have of us in Enid which can be pilot trainers and so they can’t get in an plane as a result of they haven’t had the COVID vaccine, so they’re simply doing simulation coaching,” Lankford mentioned. “These of us which have requested non secular exemption haven’t heard a solution for a 12 months and a half.”Lankford additionally touched on the truth that the Military Spouse Employment Act, which has handed the Senate and headed to the House, will assist the retention price for military households who could have left the service due to a partner having restricted choices for a profession.The partner employment laws would make it so a federal company may rent totally distant jobs, which might higher permit for a military partner to have a profession even when transferring each few years.“When I speak to military households which can be leaving the military, they are saying there are two important explanation why a military household leaves,” he mentioned. “It’s a profession for their partner and training for their youngsters. What I’m attempting to do, and with the invoice passing the Senate already, is to have the opportunity to open extra alternatives at federal companies to have a possibility for telework, and to open up for totally distant work after which a military partner may get a job at a federal company. If we’re going to preserve households within the military, we’ve bought to ensure that training is true for their youngsters and that their spouses have alternatives, as properly.”
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMimwFodHRwczovL3d3dy5zdHduZXdzcHJlc3MuY29tL29rbGFob21hL25ld3MvbGFua2ZvcmQtY29uZ3Jlc3MtYWRkcy10by1iaWRlbnMtcmVxdWVzdC1mb3ItbWlsaXRhcnktc3BlbmRpbmcvYXJ0aWNsZV8xODU1OWE0Yi1hNjNjLTU2MGUtYWFiNS02ZjZhOTE3Zjk2MzMuaHRtbNIBAA?oc=5
