Luján Initiatives Included in FY19 National Defense Authorization Act

Press Release

Today, two measures authored by Congressman Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) were included in the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019.

"From Los Alamos National Labs to Cannon Air Force Base, I'm proud of the important role Northern New Mexico plays in our nation's defense. This year's defense authorization advances many important priorities for communities across New Mexico," said Luján. "I'm proud that my efforts to bolster job-creating small businesses and recognize the communities impacted by radiation were included as part of this legislation."

This year's NDAA included Luján's Support Startup Businesses Actto help small startup businesses secure funding for early-stage innovation and development. This legislation makes improvements to the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, which enables small businesses to collaborate with research institutions and national labs, and to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, which is intended to help startups explore technology that has the potential for commercialization. Luján's improvements increase overall funding to help startups take their ideas from concept to commercialization, create more flexibility in funding guidelines, and expand the number of vendors eligible to provide services to awardees.

"I'm proud that my work with Congressmen Brad Schneider and Daniel Lipinski to make it easier for innovative small businesses to get the funding they need to establish and expand their operations was included in this year's NDAA," said Luján. "These small businesses are vital to our economy and keep our nation at the forefront of innovation."

A sense of Congress based on an amendment offered in the House by Lujánwas also included in the FY19 NDAA. The sense of Congress expresses the importance of the U.S. government compensating miners, workers, downwinders, and others suffering from the effects of uranium mining and nuclear testing carried out during the Cold War. Introducing this sense of Congress is part of Lujan's continued efforts to call for expanded compensation for individuals exposed to radiation while working in uranium mines or living downwind from atomic weapons tests.

"The community that was ground zero for the detonation of the first atomic bomb has been left behind for decades. Our country must meet its obligation to those who helped usher in the atomic age and who are still suffering from the impacts of uranium mining and nuclear testing during the Cold War," said Luján. "These are real people who are hurting and need our help. I've even had Navajo elders travel to Washington, D.C. and ask Congress: "Are you waiting for us all to die to solve this problem?' It's long past time for Congress to finally compensate these heroes."

Luján also cosponsored a provision from Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-03) included in this year's NDAA. Lujan Grisham's amendment authorizes the Air Force Research lab to create an open campus initiative allowing collaboration between the defense laboratory, industry, and academia, similar to the Army Research Lab's open campus program.

This year's NDAA provides critical funding for cleanup at LANL, which continues the important work of environmental remediation projects in communities near our labs. It also strongly supports our troops by providing a 2.6 percent increase in pay for our men and women in uniform, combats the opioid abuse crisis by establishing a drug monitoring program to help prevent opioid abuse within the military, and includes provisions to address sexual assault and domestic violence.

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