U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) issued the following statement after the Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), legislation that would provide our troops with the resources they need to keep Americans safe.
“This bill sends the right message to the men and women in uniform who fight for America around the world,” said Thune. “It not only says to our troops and their families that we have their back, but it provides them with the tools and resources they need to take on ISIS and other bad actors wherever they might hide. Sunday’s horrific attack underscores the need to pass this essential legislation to defend Americans from terrorism.”
The NDAA also includes a provision that would fix statutory language negatively affecting the Impact Aid program in states across the country, including South Dakota.
“While this bill puts our troops in a much better position to complete their mission around the globe, it also includes an important fix that would help teachers complete their mission in schools across America,” continued Thune. “The Senate defense bill makes a significant correction to the Impact Aid program, which South Dakota depends on, and would protect dozens of South Dakota schools from facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding cuts.”
Thune worked closely with Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) to secure this critical Impact Aid provision in the NDAA, and last week, Thune spoke on the Senate floor about the importance of passing this legislation.