Rep. Obernolte secures wins for High Desert bases, communities, and King of the Hammers in 2024 National Defense Authorization Act
– U.S. Congressman Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia) secured important wins for High Desert military bases and surrounding communities in the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act passed by the U.S. House of Representatives this week. A provision authored by Congressman Obernolte to increase support services on remote and isolated bases was included in the base text of the bill sent to the House floor for approval, while an amendment introduced by Rep. Obernolte to protect the annual King of the Hammers event which takes place on shared-use land was approved on Wednesday.
“I am proud to have secured the inclusion of multiple provisions in this year’s NDAA to improve life for our military families and servicemembers and to support our base-adjacent communities,” said Rep. Obernolte. “This year’s NDAA provides critical direction for our nation’s military and strengthens our armed forces now and into the future. With my provisions, it also helps improve life on remote and isolated bases, including those located in the High Desert, and ensures the continuation of King of the Hammers as an economic driver and annual tradition in the Morongo Basin.”
Rep. Obernolte’s language to support remote and isolated bases responds to critical civilian staffing shortages that have plagued military bases in California’s 23rd Congressional District and across the country since the COVID-19 pandemic. The adopted provision, which was included in the bill during the committee stage, directs the Department of Defense to study and find solutions to the critical civilian staffing issue on all 43 remote or isolated Department of Defense installations in the United States including those at the Fort Irwin National Training Center, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake and Edwards Air Force Base.
Rep. Obernolte also introduced and secured passage of an amendment to the bill on the House floor, working to ensure continued use of the Johnson Valley area for the annual King of the Hammers event, which is one of the largest off-road racing competitions in the world. In 2022 alone, 80,000 people attended the multi-day competition to watch nearly 400 teams compete for one of the top spots on the winner’s podium. The Johnson Valley Shared Use Area currently generates more than $71 million annually for the local economy according to the Bureau of Land Management.
In addition to including the provisions authored by Congressman Obernolte, the FY24 NDAA authorizes $50 million in Impact Aid assistance to public schools with military dependent students and $20 million in assistance to local schools teaching children with severe disabilities. Rep. Obernolte has pushed for increases to impact aid funding since introducing his Advancing Toward Impact Aid Full Funding Actlast Congress to provide adequate education to students in communities that suffer from a lack of local tax revenue as a result of federal land and military installations. This funding stream benefits a number of High Desert schools.
To further support members of the military and their families, the bill also provides a 5.2% pay increase for servicemembers, the largest increase in more than 20 years, and authorizes over $240 million to reduce servicemember out-of-pocket housing expenses and counteract the skyrocketing cost of rent. It also expands reimbursements available to military spouses for relicensing or business costs when servicemembers transfer locations and significantly reduces DOD childcare fees for military families.
The FY24 NDAA also takes action to support increased border security, directing DOD to inform Congress on how it will utilize, transfer, or donate to border states unused border wall materials for further construction of a border barrier. It fully funds the National Guard’s operation and maintenance account to support a border deployment and provides an additional $15 million over the President’s request to enable U.S. Northern Command to improve drug interdiction, including fentanyl shipments from China.
Find more information on the FY24 NDAA here.