Underwood Supports Critical Investment in National Defense

WASHINGTON— Today, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) voted in support of passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020. The bill authorizes $733 billion for the Department of Defense (DOD) and the defense-related activities of the Department of Energy, as well as Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO). The FY 2020 NDAA eliminates wasteful spending, promotes a more inclusive military, and solidifies Congress's oversight role over defense programs. The legislation included several Underwood priorities to increase servicemembers' pay by 3.1 percent, increase access to health care, and improve military families' access to childcare.

"In order to protect our country, we must make strategic investments in our national security that reflect our country's values," said Underwood. "I'm proud to support these crucial investments that will improve the security of our country while better supporting servicemembers and their families who sacrifice so much for us."

The NDAA also included the following Underwood priorities:

• 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 – Repeals the Survivor Benefit Plan/Dependency and Indemnity Compensation offset.
• Military Child Care – Institutes a broad range of reforms to improve military families' access to affordable child care, including an assessment of backlogs, funds to build new centers to clear backlogs, and provisions to ease the hiring and retention of child care workers. Military families face substantial child care issues, especially as military spouses seek to pursue their own careers.
• Emergency Contraception – Ensures survivors of sexual assault have access to emergency contraception at military medical treatment facilities.
• Family Planning Education – Enhances access to high-quality family planning education by requiring DOD to establish a standardized educational program across all branches of the military.
• Paid Family and Medical Leave for Federal Workers, including DOD Civilians– Provides 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for federal workers and Congressional staff. The paid leave may be granted for the birth, fostering, or adoption of a child; the care of an ill spouse, child or parent; to care for a serious personal medical condition; or any qualifying circumstance resulting from a spouse, child, or parent who is designated or soon to be designated as active duty.
• Workplace Harassment –Adds workplace harassment and discrimination protections for unpaid Federal government interns, strengthens Federal anti-discrimination laws enforced by the EEOC, and expands whistleblower protections for civilian employees. Also, in response to this NY Times expose, directs GAO to publish a report on sexual harassment and assault within the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) protective force, and the NNSA's response to allegations.
• Pilot Project for Independent Prosecutorial Review of Military Academy Sexual Assault Cases – On a pilot basis, creates a special prosecutor who will make recommendations to the military service academy superintendents on which special victims' cases to try. This program represents the culmination of years of work to lessen the role of commanders in the military justice system to encourage reporting and an independent and objective review process.
• Advisory Committee on Sexual Assault Prevention – Convenes a board of outside experts tasked with helping the DOD prevent sexual assaults.
• Climate Change – Includes multiple provisions empowering DOD to plan for and respond to the effects of climate change on military installations and operations.
• Protects Children at the Border – Prohibits DOD funds from housing unaccompanied children forcibly separated from their parent or legal guardian by CBP near a port of entry or within 100 miles of the border of the United States. Requires DOD to submit a certification that any housing provided to unaccompanied children meets the standards of HHS any waivers or exceptions to those standards, and identifies any environmental hazards and actions to mitigate those hazards.

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