Ft Worth Times

On July 17, Rep. Jake Ellzey expressed support for the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, praising its substantial $886.3 billion allocation for national defense and support for service chief and combatant commander priorities, while also achieving $40 billion in taxpayer savings. Ellzey believes the Act addresses key concerns such as rescinding the COVID-19 vaccination mandate, countering inflation's impact on military operations, combatting woke ideological influences and demonstrating a comprehensive commitment to bolstering national security and military readiness. 

“The primary job of any government, whether that be local, state, or federal is the protection of her citizen,” Ellzey said in a July 17 press release. “Today, with the passing of the National Defense Authorization Act, we are ensuring that our military focuses on the care and lethality of our troops and no longer on ideological teaching that impede our ability to protect the United States. This bill shows that responsible spending works. The NDAA was crafted for mission effectiveness. We provided the largest pay raise for our service members in 20 years and sent a clear message to our adversaries that our nation’s military remains strong, all while saving the American taxpayer 5% on current military spending.” 

According to the press release, the National Defense Authorization Act, allocates $886.3 billion for national defense. The act identifies crucial priorities by providing over $2 billion to service chiefs and combatant commanders, and achieves a substantial $40 billion reduction in current defense expenditures. Noteworthy provisions within the Act include a 5.2 percent increase in military pay, measures to combat drug trafficking, prohibition of Critical Race Theory teaching in the military, protection of servicemembers' rights, reinforcement of naval capacity, efforts against espionage, bolstering of alliances like Taiwan and Pacific partners, and enhanced security collaboration with Israel.

Regarding the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, the Act rescinds the mandate for active and reserve servicemembers, ends separations for vaccine refusal, and emphasizes benefits for discharged servicemembers, according to a fact sheet. It further demands standardized exemption processes, investigates mandate impact on recruitment and retention, and calls for a report on health issues among servicemembers post-vaccine.

In addressing the "Woke Agenda," the Act establishes uniform fitness standards for combat duty across genders, prevents changes to medical care scope without congressional notification, and strengthens parental rights to review and influence curriculum and policies in DoD schools.

Jake Ellzey, the incumbent U.S. Congressman for Texas's Sixth Congressional District, which includes Navarro County, has held office since 2021. His Republican primary challenge in the district, set for March 2024, comes from Corsicana resident Clifford Wiley, according to Ballotpedia. Notably, Wiley's campaign has not received an endorsement from former President Trump who previously backed Ellzey's opponents, Roll Call reported.