U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., praised the full Senate passage of the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (FY 24 NDAA) this week.

The legislation, which Wicker led as the highest-ranking Senate Armed Services Committee Republican, defines defense investments and priorities for the years ahead. The bill included a range of projects supporting Vicksburg and Mississippi’s role in the national defense enterprise.

“The United States faces the most complex and dangerous global security situation since World War II. Senate passage of this legislation sends a strong message to our adversaries that the U.S. supports national defense and our service members,” Wicker said. “This year’s bill would bring even more momentum to the defense workforce in Mississippi, and it would support the shipyards, airfields, munitions plants and educational institutions that make our state a leader in defense innovation.”

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) will benefit from the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act in the following ways:

• It will add $3 million in funding to support research on pavement repair materials for military missions, affecting ERDC in Vicksburg.
• It included language to accelerate Pentagon efforts to partner with industry on bioprocessing for rare earths and critical minerals, supporting existing work at ERDC in Vicksburg.