Haaland: Defense Bill Isn't Perfect, But Includes Major Wins for New Mexico

Statement

Yesterday evening, Congresswoman Deb Haaland (NM-01), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 with major wins for New Mexico military families, federal public servants, New Mexico jobs, and military installations. The bill will now move to the U.S. Senate for final passage.

"After advocating back and forth, we came together to build consensus on a National Defense Authorization Act. Though the bill isn't perfect, it delivers major wins for New Mexico, and includes progressive provisions that will move our country toward paid family leave for all Americans, housing protections for military families, and a much needed raise for those who serve our country," said Congresswoman Deb Haaland. "The final outcome of this bill explains why a change in leadership in the Senate and the White House is needed to pass all the protections and foreign policy provisions that were in the original House NDAA."

After hearing about unsafe housing conditions from Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB) families, Haaland demanded answers during a House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness hearing that covered the mismanagement of housing programs for military families. She later introduced a comprehensive bill along-side U.S. Senator Warren (D-Mass.) to address unsafe military housing. Several provisions from that bill were included in the final NDAA.

The NDAA also includes major progressive provisions to strengthen economic security for families across the country by providing 12 weeks of paid family leave for all federal public servants in the case of birth, adoption, or fostering. This bill finally repeals the "Widow's Tax," ensuring that families of servicemembers who make the ultimate sacrifice for our country receive their full survivor's benefits. Haaland also fought for a 3.1 percent raise for all Service members, which is the largest raise in a decade to increase financial security for military families.

Haaland served as a conferee during the NDAA conference process. A full list of provisions that will bolster New Mexico jobs, military housing protections, contamination clean up, and military resilience in the face of climate threats is below:

Supporting Jobs at New Mexico Military Installations and National Labs

-Targeted apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs that utilize local high schools, community colleges, universities, and other higher education institutions and workforce intermediaries, working in partnership with local military installations, national laboratories and National Nuclear Security Administration sites, to fill skills gaps in critical sectors of the workforce, so New Mexicans have access to good paying jobs.
-Combat mission helicopter simulator to enhance Kirtland Air Force Base training operations
-Require a report of additional options for achieving deployable flying missions in each of the 54 National Guard organizations;
-Replacement to Kirtland Air Force Base helicopter storage facility
-Air Force plan to leverage commercial investments to integrate launch capabilities for small satellites and space assets for the Department of Defense and Kirtland Air Force Base
-Establishment of the White Sands National Park in the State of New Mexico

Housing Protections for Military Families

-Requires the military services to implement a tenant bill of rights for military residents of privatized military family housing;
-Creates a public database for complaints related to military housing, requires annual financial audits of randomly selected privatized military family housing, and annual congressional reports on the condition, maintenance, and management of privatized military family housing.
-Directs Secretaries of the military departments to report on the manpower requirements and execution plan to staff military housing offices and headquarters to fill gaps in oversight personnel;
-Prohibits the use of non-disclosure agreements in connection with entering into, continuing, or terminating a lease for on-base military housing.
-Authorizes an additional $140.8 million to hire additional civilian personnel to improve oversight and management of military family housing.
-Requires the Department of Defense to develop a health and safety hazard assessment tool for housing and provide a summary report to potential occupants

Contamination Cleanup for New Mexico Communities

-Requires the Air Force to report the progress made to remediate contaminated soil and groundwater at KAFB and detail the Air Force plans to engage and coordinate with local water utility authority, State environmental agencies, and surrounding communities;
-Periodic health assessments and physical examinations provided by the Department of Defense include specific information related to exposure to burn pits, toxic airborne chemicals, and other airborne contaminants;
-Blood testing for each Department of Defense firefighter during the annual physical exam to determine and document potential exposure to PFAS chemicals;
-Assistance for New Mexico dairy farmers affected by PFAS contamination

Military Resilience Facing Climate Change Threats

-Updates to building practices and standards to promote military installation resilience, energy and climate resilience, and cyber resilience;
-Briefing on efforts and opportunities to reduce expenditures on, and waste from, single-use plastics within the armed forces;
-Authorizes $100 million, $25 million above the budget request, for the Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative (REPI), supports land conservation efforts in cooperation with local communities to prevent incompatible development around military bases and ranges;
-Authorizes $283 million, an additional $133 million, for military construction projects that improve energy resiliency or energy conservation efforts at a military installation.
-Requires DOD develop installation master plans that assess current climate vulnerabilities and plan for mitigating the risks to installations from extreme weather events, mean sea level fluctuation, wildfires, flooding, and other changes in environmental conditions using projections from recognized governmental and scientific entities.

Tribal Protections

-Updates to Department of Defense tribal consultation measures, so that impacts to tribal communities from Department of Defense construction projects are considered earlier in the approval process
-Improves the Native Contracting program by removing barriers that had previously impeded Tribes and tribal organizations from accessing Department of Defense contracts

Military Sexual Assault

-Utilizing best practices to standardize sexual assault prevention and response training across services

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