Bice Additions to the Congressional National Defense Authorization Act

National security, defense, and supporting our military are top priorities of mine, which is why it is an honor to serve on the House Armed Services Committee. Each year, the committee is responsible for crafting legislation that makes changes to the policies of United States defense agencies and provides guidelines for military funding for the next fiscal year, known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

Last week our committee met to discuss this legislation in the NDAA markup, where my colleagues and I considered, debated, and voted on amendments to include in the final bill. After 17 hours of discussion, the NDAA was finalized by the committee and will now head to the House floor for consideration.

I offered a number of amendments with Oklahoma’s fifth district in mind, and nearly all were added to the final bill.  I’d like to take this opportunity to highlight a few of them. One of the amendments directly addresses the ongoing lack of security on our southern border by allocating $25 million to enable units from the Army National Guard to take a greater role in assisting US Customs and Border Protection personnel. Following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the lack of control at the southern border is a critical vulnerability that cannot be overlooked. With this amendment, we are taking action to improve the overall safety and security of our country.

Additionally, with the rapidly changing security situation in Afghanistan, I added an amendment that would require the Department of Defense to report to Congress by November on the security impacts posed by the prisoner releases in Afghanistan. As you may know, the Taliban released thousands of prisoners that were being held at Bagram Air Base, including many Al-Qaeda operatives. The security implications of the prisoner release are extremely concerning. This amendment will assess the potential impact on our homeland.

It is crucial to support those who fight to keep us safe, which is why I added two amendments that assist our military personnel. One amendment contains a bill I sponsored, the Protecting Military Families with Disabilities Act, that will protect servicemembers and their families from being charged out-of-pocket costs needed for ADA upgrades to their military base housing. Servicemembers should not face financial hardship in obtaining on-base accommodations for a disabled family member, and this bill will ensure that ADA upgrades in base housing will be at no additional cost.

I also worked to include language from a bill I cosponsored with Rep. Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon (R-Puerto Rico), the Mental Health Stigma in the Military Act, which would require the Department of Defense to access and reconsider mental health services under the military health care system. With the continued rise in military and veteran suicides, I am committed to addressing the underlying issues through access to mental healthcare, and ending the stigma associated with accessing mental health resources.

The final amendment contains another bill I sponsored, the National Defense Workforce Opportunity Act, with the support of Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ-1). This will establish a coalition of workforce and education stakeholders to collaborate on developing career pathways for workers and students to enter manufacturing careers in the defense industrial base.

The annual NDAA bill is vitally important for continuous support of our military and ensuring a safe and secure nation. I am pleased to have contributed these amendments that address pressing issues that not only affect our country, but that directly impact the people of Oklahoma’s fifth district.