Jones' Initiatives Included in House NDAA

Press Release

Yesterday, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) passed H.R. 2810, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2018. The bill will next go to the House floor for a vote, which is expected to take place in July. The NDAA is an annual policy and funding blueprint for the national security programs within the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Energy. As a senior member of HASC, Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3) was active in the drafting of this legislation and successfully attached several measures to H.R. 2810. Specifically, Congressman Jones' efforts resulted in six additions to the NDAA to support military families, improve medical care for armed service members and veterans, and commemorate the men and women who have served in the Marine Corps, Special Forces Operations Command, and World War I.

The 2018 NDAA contains the language of Jones' longstanding bill, H.R. 171, to retitle the Department of the Navy as the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps. It is a widely supported bipartisan effort that recognizes, in an equal manner, the two separate services that are currently encompassed in the Department of the Navy -- the Navy and the Marine Corps.
"The Marine Corps is an equal member of this department, and therefore, deserves equal recognition in its title," said Congressman Jones.

After many years of work on the issue, Congressman Jones succeeded in his effort to support new measures to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within military and veterans hospitals. The 2018 NDAA now authorizes the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in military medical treatment facilities. HBOT is used to treat PTSD and traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and is another step forward in offering state-of-the-art treatment to our nation's service members.

Congressman Jones also secured an amendment to the NDAA that is similar to his proposed bill H.R. 2850, the Military Patron Protection Act of 2017. This legislation would give commissary and exchange patrons -- including service members, retirees, their families, and survivors -- a voice in how their contributions are managed by the DoD. It would also provide much needed transparency over the multitude of changes taking place to programs they rely on, including military family support programs.

Congressman Jones was pleased to include in the NDAA language from his bill, H.R. 866, the Continuity of Education for Military Retired Dependents Act. This addition would permit the children and dependents of military retirees who reside in military housing to attend DoD elementary and secondary schools, rather than requiring students to transfer once their parent(s) retire from service.

In addition, Congressman Jones joined Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (NH-1) in including an amendment commemorating the centennial of World War I. This amendment honors the memory of the fallen heroes of the U.S. Armed Forces during the war, and thanks all those who fought to preserve the founding principles of the United States at home and abroad throughout that conflict.

Finally, the 2018 NDAA included recognition of the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Special Operations Command. Congressman Jones, co-chairman of the Special Operations Forces Caucus, has long pushed for these men and women to be recognized by Congress for their service and commitment to keeping our country safe.

If passed in the House, the NDAA will go to the Senate for further consideration.

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