U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today issued the following statement after the president signed into law the bipartisan defense bill, which included many provisions Heitkamp fought for to support North Dakota’s national security missions and keep our communities strong and safe. The bill authorizes U.S. Department of Defense funding levels and helps set defense policy, and passed with a bipartisan majority of the U.S. Senate earlier this month.
“North Dakota’s national security missions are vital to our nation’s defense and the strength of every community in our state,” Heitkamp said. “This bipartisan bill becoming law is a win for many of our greatest assets – from modernizing our B-52s and ICBMs to ensuring our brave servicemembers and veterans get the pay and benefits they deserve. The variety of threats our nation faces today requires robust investments in forward-thinking technologies and strategies, like modernizing our nuclear arsenal and furthering the development of unmanned aircraft systems, and I was proud to help get it across the finish line.”