Underwood Helps Secure Investments in National Defense in the Bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act Conference Report

WASHINGTON— Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14), member of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Conference Committee, announced that she has successfully helped secure critical investments in national defense as a conferee of the bipartisan, bicameral NDAA Conference. The conference, led by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (WA-9) and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman James Inhofe (R-OK), has worked over the last months to develop a House and Senate agreement for Fiscal Year 2020. The bipartisan conference report reflects Underwood priorities including a pay raise for servicemembers, paid family leave for more Americans, investment to help respond to the effects of climate change, and increased access to mental health care for servicemembers and their families.

"In order to protect our country, we must make strategic investments in our national security. Over the last months, I have worked with my colleagues in the House and Senate on both sides of the aisle to ensure crucial investments that will help improve the security of our country and support servicemembers and their families," said Underwood. "As the Vice Chair of the Committee on Homeland Security, I was honored to be selected and serve as a conferee to negotiate the final bill and look forward to seeing this bipartisan effort advance in Congress."

Click here to view a photo of Underwood signing the NDAA Conference Report.

The final legislation includes:

• Military Pay Raise – Increases basic pay for members of the uniformed services by 3.1 percent, the highest military pay raise in a decade.
• Military Widows' Tax – Reduces unfair tax burdens on military families.
• Climate Change – Empowers the Department of Defense (DOD) to plan for and respond to the effects of climate change on military installations and infrastructure.
• Comprehensive Mental Health Care— Allows servicemembers faster access to mental health services and requires DOD to develop a comprehensive mental health policy for servicemembers.
• Report on Suicide Prevention Programs — Strengthens suicide prevention programs and requires a report on their effectiveness.
• Expands Paid Parental Leave for Federal Workers — Provides 12 weeks of paid parental for all federal employees in the case of the birth, fostering, or adoption of a child.
• Congressional Oversight of U.S. military Activity in Iraq and Syria — Requires DOD to provide all past overdue reports related to U.S. military activities in Iraq and Syria by January 1, 2020 and requires DOD to consult with the Government of Iraq on its activities in Iraq.