(WASHINGTON, DC) – Members of the House Armed Services Committee went through nearly 14 hours of markup debate on Wednesday for the National Defense Authorization Act, which aims to fund America’s National Defense and Armed Services for FY2018 and includes 233 amendments that were introduced and approved to be included in the full bill, according to a new release from Rep. Steve Knight (CA-25).

“It is a true honor to be a member of the House Armed Services Committee and have the ability to participate in such a fundamental responsibility to fund our National Defense and Armed Services,” Knight said. “The National Defense Authorization Act does more than provide basic defense funding. It authorizes support for training and pilot programs, initiates production on advanced tools and mechanisms, and ensures our soldiers, veterans, and their families are receiving care and benefits they deserve.”

The NDAA final committee measure authorizes $621.5 billion national defense spending for FY2018, plus an extra $10 billion in war funding dedicated to the Pentagon’s base budget and another $65 billion in war funds.

Included in major funding, specific to Knight’s 25th District, are building support, extensions for funding, or support for bulk buys for aircraft like the following; B-2, F-35, U-2, U-2S, RQ-4 Global Hawk, LMAMS, MQ-4 Triton, F/A-18 Super Hornets, F-22 Raptor, F-18s, MQ-25 Stingray, MQ-9B Procurement, AR-1 Engine, UH-60M Black Hawk Utility Aircraft, Boost Glide and Boost Cruise Hypersonic Weapons, AF Hypersonics, C-130J, ASARS-2B radar antenna, AH-64 Apache, F-35, and F-15C.

Also approved were Advanced Pilot Training Programs, Army National Guard Protection Teams, Major Range and Test Facility Bases, C-130H Avionics Modernization Program Inc 2, Up-to-Date Responsive Launch Demonstrations, Conformal Wearable Battery Safety and Performance Tests, Adaptive Engine Transition Programs, Direct Employment for Members of Guard & Reserve, Inventory of IT Assets to Identify Cost Savings, and Advanced Adversarial Air Training.

“Although it may be a long process, funding our military is a major part of the role of our government,” Knight said. “Every year there are new advances in protective technology and it is our job to ensure these advances are being studied, tested, and executed to provide the most up-to-date military options to our soldiers.”

Knight also sponsored many amendments that passed and will be part of the final bill. One of his amendments authorizes $16.0 million for the Plant 42 Air Traffic Control Tower. Specific to Simi Valley, $10 million in funding for the U.S. Army Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile Systems (LMAMS) was also approved which is a single soldier-portable/operable, light-weight, organic, beyond line-of-sight, precision guided, and loitering aerial missile system capable of locating and engaging obscured and/or fleeting enemy targets who otherwise cannot be engaged by typical direct fire weapon systems.

Knight’s Women’s Business Centers Improvements Act of 2017, H.R. 1680, was also included and passed as a final amendment in the full NDAA. H.R. 1680 was passed from both the House Small Business Committee and House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology earlier this month and will now soon head to the House floor to be approved as a part of the full bill.

“I am proud of the package my colleagues and I serving on this committee have crafted through bipartisan debate and support and look forward to the passage of the full NDAA soon,” said Knight.