Funding our Troops and Supporting Military Families

I proudly voted for the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed the House and will fully fund our troops. Americans deserve a military that is laser-focused on lethality and protecting our safety. Included in the bill are strong conservative victories — including securing the largest troop pay raise in twenty years, ending woke ideology infiltrating our military, and a Parents’ Bill of Rights for military families.

As the representative for Goodfellow Air Force Base and parts of Fort Cavazos, I am especially proud of the improvements this legislation makes to better support our military families, and crucial investments for barracks, power generation, and other projects at Fort Cavazos. I will always be a staunch advocate for our troops and military families in Congress.

Pfluger Specific FY 2024 NDAA Initiatives:

• Mandates the Department of Defense adapt its standard communications system, Link-16.
• Requires deliveries of KC-46A Pegasus aircraft to Israel while also providing training to Israeli pilots immediately.
• Directs DOD to produce a report on the Department’s outreach to congressional districts to increase awareness of what a future in military service provides.

Overall FY 2024 NDAA Highlights:

Military Service Members and Families:

• Supports a 5.2 percent increase in servicemember basic pay, the largest pay raise in over 20 years.
• Expands reimbursements available to military spouses for relicensing or business costs when servicemembers transfer locations.
• Provides methodological parity among military pay grades and greater flexibility to adequately respond to the housing estimation challenges posed by rapidly changing housing market conditions across the United States.

Critical Race Theory and Gender Ideology:

• Prohibits nonapproved flags from being flown at military installations.
• Requires that military accession or a promotion in the Department of Defense be based on individual merit and demonstrated performance.
• Prohibits funds from being used to promote critical race theory (CRT) at a Service Academy, in military training, or in professional military education.
• Defunds the Department of Defense Extremism Working Group.

I want to take a moment to address the concerns that I have with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)—notably Section 702—which needs serious reforms. Section 702 is a tool that has been used to protect the American people, but it has been abused by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 

The House Intelligence Committee has been working for seven months on strong legislation to reform this program while protecting civil liberties. 

Getting this reform has never been more important. The risk of terrorism has increased significantly since Hamas’s massacre in Israel, and we need all the intel we can get to detect and prevent future attacks on our Homeland. We must ensure any FISA reform maintains Section 702’s usefulness as a national security tool.

The House was slated to vote on legislation this week to reauthorize FISA before it expired on December 31, 2023. Unfortunately, unresolved differences prevented the bills from coming to the House Floor for a vote. In the meantime, Congress approved a measure that extends Section 702 until April 19, 2024.

We would not know of the serious abuses of FISA if it was not for the work of House Republicans this past year. The American people deserve a law that protects them from both governmental overreach and security threats. 

I look forward to reforming FISA next year and ensuring the privacy of Americans. Read more about the 2024 NDAA here.

Organized Retail Crime Leaves No One Victimless

As Chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence, I led a hearing to examine the alarming rise in organized retail crime.

Generally, organized retail crime involves the association of two or more persons engaged in illegally obtaining merchandise of value from retail establishments, through theft and/or fraud, as part of a criminal enterprise. Transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) are taking advantage of President Biden’s open border policy and are engaging in retail theft right in our communities.

Soft-on-crime policies across the country have incentivized these criminals to ransack stores of all sizes—putting employees and customers in danger. Organized retail crime leaves no one victimless. I will continue exposing the consequences of soft-on-crime policies while working to secure the southern border. Watch here or below for my opening remarks.

Update on Biden Impeachment Inquiry

I voted to formally open an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. In recent weeks, we have learned that the Biden family has stonewalled House Republicans’ requests for information concerning evidence surrounding the Biden family’s foreign business dealings.

Formalizing the impeachment inquiry will allow Congress to properly investigate and deliver the facts to the American public. This is a solemn decision. House Republicans will carry out a fair and transparent investigation.

House Passes SUPPORT Act

In the last two years, we have lost 200,000 Americans to drug overdoses and fentanyl poisoning. In response, the House passed the Support Act, which included my legislation to crack down on drug traffickers using xylazine to cut fentanyl. Commonly used as a horse tranquilizer, xylazine is an essential drug used frequently by veterinarians. The legislation includes protections for agriculturalists and veterinarians.

The Support Act will provide greater access to support programs and treatment services for those battling addiction. Watch here or below for my floor remarks on the bill.

Farm Bill Priorities to Support Producers

I sent a letter to the House Committee on Agriculture detailing important priorities for Texas 11th District agricultural producers in the upcoming year and Farm Bill. The priorities include a strong farm safety net and crop insurance from natural disasters, animal predation research, and robust conservation funding.

I am proud to represent over 15 million acres of farm and ranchland that generates $1 billion in revenue each year. Agriculture production is not only the backbone of local economies but also the epicenter of America’s food security. No other region in the world does more to contribute to our food supply chains than Texas. Food security is national security. Read the full letter here for more information.

2024 Congressional Youth Advisory Council

I am excited to announce the re-launch of the Congressional Youth Advisory Council (CYAC) for high school juniors and seniors in the 11th Congressional District of Texas. CYAC is designed to empower the next generation of leaders by providing a platform to voice their perspectives on critical issues. Participants will have the chance to interact directly with me and special guests in interactive virtual meetings. Additionally, CYAC participants will be provided special admittance to the Pfluger Youth Leadership Conference in Spring 2024 (Date TBD).

Key Program Details:

· Up to four interactive virtual meetings with Congressman Pfluger and distinguished guests.

· Participation in the Pfluger Youth Leadership Conference in Spring 2024 (Date TBD).

· No cost to participants; all materials provided.

· Possibility of academic or community service credit.

Interested students are encouraged to apply by completing an application at: pfluger.house.gov/services/cyac.htm.

The EXTENDED deadline for submissions is now December 18, 2023. Applicants must commit to attending a minimum of three meetings, scheduled after school hours, subject to possible changes in the Congressional calendar.

For questions about the program or application, please contact Corbette Padilla in the Midland district office at 432-687-2390.

Rep. August Pfluger

Member of Congress