Washington – This evening, House Republican Conference Chair and Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-WY) was appointed by House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy to serve on the Conference Committee that will reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The NDAA authorizes the budget and expenditures for the U.S. Department of Defense. Earlier this year, the House advanced their version of the NDAA on a purely partisan vote (220-197), while the Senate advanced their version in a bipartisan fashion (86-8). In response to being named to the Conference Committee, Rep. Cheney issued the following statement: 

“I’m honored to be named as a conferee for the National Defense Authorization Act Conference Committee. Our most important duty in Congress is to provide for the defense of our nation. We must ensure our men and women in uniform have the resources they need to defend our freedom.

“Today’s global threat environment is more serious and complex than at any time since World War II. Our security requires that we resource, develop and deploy the systems necessary to deter and, if necessary, defeat our adversaries. This includes modernizing all three legs of our nuclear triad and closing the alarming deterrence gap with Russia by deploying low-yield nuclear weapons, as called for in the Nuclear Posture Review.

“House Democrats failed to properly address these and several other vital issues in their version of this legislation, and it is my hope that we can work with our colleagues in the Senate to properly fund our military and guarantee that our troops have the tools and resources they need to protect this nation.”

In addition to Rep. Cheney’s statement, the leading House Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), said the following: 

“I am proud to welcome Congresswoman Liz Cheney to this year’s Conference Committee. She is a tireless advocate for our men and women in uniform and I look forward to working together to support our troops and maintain the United States’ competitive edge.  I have no doubt that Rep. Cheney will continue to provide strong and insightful leadership as we work to craft a bipartisan agreement.”