House Passes Annual Defense Bill with Key Tsongas Provisions

Press Release

Today, the House of Representatives passed the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes funding and sets policy for the Department of Defense. The bill will now move to the Senate.

The FY15 NDAA contains over a dozen provisions authored by Massachusetts Third District Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, including significant provisions to combat sexual assault in the military, address suicides by servicemembers and their family members, increase Department of Defense (DOD) cyber security on several fronts, and more (please see below for specific provisions and amendments).

In addition, an amendment authored by Tsongas was added to the bill on the Floor of the House that addresses the ongoing need to protect the gains of women and girls in Afghanistan. Last week, Tsongas returned from her 6th trip to Afghanistan where she met with U.S. soldiers and coalition leaders, Afghan leaders, including female Members of Parliament, those involved in recruiting women into the Afghan military and police, Afghan women journalists, and leaders of organizations focused on advancing the role of women in Afghan society.

Also, the House approved an amendment cosponsored by Congresswoman Tsongas that will extend maternity leave for women serving in the military from 6 weeks to 12 weeks. This amendment will help millions of military mothers across the country by extending maternity leave for active duty women to meet the minimum requirements mandated by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).

Tsongas is the only Massachusetts member of the House Armed Services Committee, serving as the top Democrat on the Subcommittee for Oversight and Investigations. She is also the co-chair of the Military Sexual Assault Prevention Caucus, along with Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), and co-chair of the bipartisan Afghan Women's Task Force with Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX).

Congresswoman Tsongas released the following statement:

"Military members and their families sacrifice so much in service to this country, and we have a responsibility to do everything we can to protect and serve them. The FY15 NDAA sends a message of support for our servicemembers.

"But as with all bills of this size, there are pieces that I am not happy with. The biggest failing is that it defers many difficult decisions needed to meet the fiscal realities imposed by sequestration and the Budget Control Act. Putting off the hard choices will only make them broader in scope down the road, more difficult to address and will challenge our ability to train and equip our servicemembers with the best possible resources for safely and successfully carrying out their mission.

"I have always believed that the DOD should play a role in reducing our nation's deficit. But it must be done in a thoughtful, targeted and responsible way that modernizes our military while saving taxpayer dollars. In that way we can strengthen that which we already have, and prevent us from handcuffing our potential.

"I also oppose funding for new and permanent facilities at Guantanamo Bay and support measures to close the detention facility.

"I commend my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for a robust discussion and as we move forward with the NDAA process, I look forward to bipartisan collaboration in the House and Senate to reconcile some of the defects in this bill.

"Despite its inadequacies, this bill takes several steps to support our servicemembers and strengthen our national security. I authored many provisions in this bill that support the men and women of our armed forces.

"Massachusetts' military installations are leading the way in the modernization initiative, partnering with area businesses and academic institutions to form a hub of innovation that has -- and will continue to be -- vital to national security. Massachusetts bases have played a major role in developing everything from cyber security programs, to next-generation body armor, to high-tech communications systems, to more effective and nutritious meals for soldiers.

"In regard to the disturbing prevalence of sexual assault in the military, I have worked closely with Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) to continue developing legislation that works towards eradicating these heinous crimes from our ranks and changing the toxic culture that allows them to occur. Accountability begins at the top and must extend across the military, to every rank and position. Our FY15 NDAA language ensures military leaders, servicemembers and the military justice system are held to the highest standard.

"When it comes to addressing suicide and issues of mental health, information is critical, and the FY15 NDAA closes harmful gaps in the DOD's data collection process. It is an opportunity to better understand the extent of suicides and suicide attemptsfor reserve and Guard servicemembers, along with their families, so that prevention programs can be improved and assistance can be provided.

"With the inclusion of a section of the International Violence Against Women Act, we ensure the US government continues the important work that is already underway in preventing and responding to gender-based violence in all its overseas operations. As seen in places like Afghanistan and Nigeria, the status of women and girls, and the stability of nations go hand-in-hand.

"As the co-chair of the Afghan Women's Task Force, I have long advocated for the rights of Afghan women to actively participate in government and public life. The elections held in early April were notable for the large turnout of women voters, as well as the fact that there were more women candidates on the ballot than ever before. It symbolized the great progress made by women and girls in Afghanistan, and revealed the confidence and cautious optimism growing among the Afghan people. My amendment is a step toward protecting these gains, which are necessary to bolster security in that region and will have important ripple effects for our own national security as well.

"Another important priority for me in this bill is DOD's ability to implement the most cutting-edge cyber and information technology. I believe this capabilityis critical for the future of our military and will ensure that we are always one step ahead of future threats. The FY15 NDAA allows the DOD to take full advantage of private and commercial cloud services to decrease costs, increase accessibility and security. It will also help eliminate redundancy and ensure that the DOD's test and training ranges for information technology and cyber defense are optimized for efficiency and effectiveness."

The following is a list of some of the Tsongas-authored provisions and amendments included in the FY15 NDAA:

Massachusetts military installations
Reverses cuts to funding for Natick Soldier Systems Center's Combat Feeding Directorate

· The Combat Feeding Directorate includes research, development, integration, testing, and engineering for combat rations, field food service equipment and complete combat feeding systems for the Department of Defense and interagency partners like NASA. Securing this funding preserves this critical mission at Natick, which includes over 100 jobs in Massachusetts.

Laboratory Authority for Breakthrough Scientific (LABS) Research Act

· Encourages the elimination of bureaucratic restrictions that currently prevent DOD engineers, scientists, and other technical personnel from being able to share research, learn about cutting edge innovations, and interact with their peers from across the country and the world at technical conferences and symposia;

New Hanscom Air Force Base Dormitory

· Provides $13.5 million for construction of a new Hanscom dormitory for junior enlisted airmen, which will increase housing and provide modern, on-base accommodations;

MIT modernization

· Supports Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory infrastructure modernization, which is necessary due to aging 1950s-era facilities that have been plagued by functional obsolescence issues;

· Lincoln Labs, located on the grounds of Hanscom AFB, is one of the nation's top federally funded research and development centers, and has accomplished peerless, sustained defense technology development for decades. Modernized facilities are critical to keeping Lincoln Labs on the cutting edge of technology and to enable it to continue to confront the nation's most complex technological challenges.

Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS)

· Extends support for Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) recapitalization program, one of the most reliable surveillance systems in the world, based at Hanscom;

Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN)

· Support for Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) becoming a permanent Air Force program, with a guaranteed funding stream.

· BACN, which is managed at Hanscom, has been heralded as an outstanding industry breakthrough. It is a critical communications tool that helps servicemembers communicate in remote locations around the world. The FY15 NDAA secures BACN's place in our military future, recognizing its role as an important and necessary resource for soldier communication and safety.

Military Sexual Assault

The Furthering Accountability and Individual Rights within the Military Act of 2014(FAIR Military Act):

· Limits the use of the "good soldier" defense, which allows a defendant to cite unrelated, subjective factors during trial, such as military record;

· Requires that commanders be assessed on their ability to create a climate where a victim can report a crime without fear of retaliation;

· Requires that commanders be assessed on their ability to properly handle reports of sexual assault;

· Ensures that the changes and provisions regarding military sexual assault prevention from the FY14 Defense Authorization apply to the military service academies;

· Requires Congress be informed of the implementation of sexual assault prevention policies put in place by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel as well as the sexual assault prevention provisions put in place by the FY13 and FY14 Defense Authorizations;

· Ensures that an independent panel will look at how the mental health records of victims are admitted into evidence at trial and whether changes should be made to the military rules of evidence.

Military Suicide

The Department of Defense (DOD) Suicide Tracking Act:

· Requires the DOD to establish a standardized suicide tracking policy for the National Guard and Reserves;

· Requires the establishment of a process to track, retain and assess suicide data for military family members;

· This legislation was endorsed by the National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS), the National Military Family Association, and the Association of the United States Navy.

The International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA)

· Ensures proper congressional oversight of DOD's ongoing role to prevent gender-based violence.

Afghanistan

Tsongas Amendment to protect and support the gains of Afghan women and girls:

· Requires the DOD to report on US efforts to support the human rights of Afghan women and girls, as well as their security and social mobility;

· Requires the DOD to work with the State Department and USAID to ensure that women's human rights in Afghanistan are not sacrificed and that women are included in the Afghan National Security Forces;

· Encourages Afghan and coalition officials to include women in conflict resolution;

· Includes a statement of support clarifying that it is US policy to maintain and improve the gains of women and girls in Afghanistan made since 2002.

Cyber Security

Cloud Security Act

· Will support operations at Hanscom AFB's C4ISR Enterprise Integration Facility (CEIF) - a facility designed to realistically test and integrate advanced software, cyber and network applications - potentially opening up cost savings measures, private sector opportunities and job growth.

· Advancements in cloud data storage by commercial sector vendors have enabled other federal government agencies to store data at a fraction of the cost of physical data centers. The DOD will be able to seek out similar benefits, especially at advanced data, research and development facilities like Hanscom.

· The bill requires a full evaluation of the security requirements for a cloud service to store DOD information, based on security classification level;

· Requires a determination of best practices related to cloud security by both public and private entities in order to establish security requirements for the DOD;

· Requires an examination of the potential for commercial cloud providers to host DOD information systems.

DOD IT/Cyber Range Act

· The Cyber Range legislation, included in the FY15 NDAA, will potentially lead to efficiencies at the DOD, as well as increased collaboration between departments and across agencies;

· Requires the DOD to make specific improvements to the way cyber range facilities are managed across the department. Cyber ranges are networks used by DOD military, civilian, and contractor personnel for cyber warfare training, and for research and development, which leads to significant technological breakthroughs in the cyber field.

· Hanscom AFB's C4ISR Enterprise Integration Facility (CEIF) is one of the DOD's major cyber range knowledge centers and stands to benefit from the sharing and coordination laid out in this legislation, with the potential for the CEIF to be further used to coordinate interaction with other facilities.

· Gives more authority to the research facilities within DOD to recruit up-and-coming talented individuals, particularly students focused in advanced science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM) fields;

· Makes permanent a temporary hiring authority allowing for rapid and flexible hiring of top-quality science, engineering, and technical personnel.

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