Kilmer Votes to Support Servicemembers, Military Families, and Federal Civilian Workforce

Press Release

Today, U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) voted to support H.R. 4350, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (NDAA). The bipartisan bill authorizes funding for the Department of Defense and passed the House of Representatives 316-113.

"If you serve this country, Congress should have your back and invest in you and your family. I'm proud that this bill includes a number of measures to support our troops and their families," said Rep. Kilmer. "In our region, we also have talented civilians doing vitally important work to keep our country safe, so I'm glad that we were able to include measures that benefit those workers and our region's economy as well."

Supporting Servicemembers and Federal Workers

The bill includes measures supported by Rep. Kilmer for American service members and their families, including a 2.7% pay increase for service members. The bill also authorizes increased funding for cleanup of drinking water on military bases contaminated by PFAS chemicals, continues to invest in improving the oversight and management of housing for military personnel and their families, makes improvements to sexual assault prevention and response programs, and makes improvements in military health care, including making it easier to make mental health appointments.

The legislation also includes numerous provisions to support federal workers. Of importance to Kitsap County, the bill includes an expansion of the rate of overtime pay authority for Department of Navy employees performing work outside the continental United States.

Kilmer said, "When our region's shipyard workers work overtime, they should get paid overtime -- including when they're overseas. It shouldn't take an act of Congress to make that the case -- and for the foreseeable future, it won't."

Ensuring Fairness for Shipyard Workers

For decades, the Navy has sought to recruit and retain talented workers to public shipyards for critical positions in science and engineering using the Accelerated Promotion Program (APP). In 2016, the Navy suspended the program as it sought recertification from the Office of Personnel Management. Workers hired during that one-year gap in the program were adversely affected by the suspension, leading to lost pay and slower promotions compared to their other colleagues. To fix this issue, Rep. Kilmer authored an amendment that requests the Office of Personnel Management conduct an assessment on how to fairly compensate those workers.

Reducing Jet Noise

Over the past several years, Rep. Kilmer has pushed the Department of Defense to fund efforts to reduce the noise of the Navy's EA-18G Growler through his work on the Appropriations Committee. In the NDAA, Rep. Kilmer also fought to provide additional funds for the Secretary of the Navy to continue developing technology that could be installed on Growler engines to reduce their noise.

Ensuring the Military is a Responsible Climate Partner

The NDAA ensures that the military makes progress toward being a responsible partner in fighting climate change. This year, the bill authorizes combatant commander initiative funds to be used for the purpose of enhancing extreme weather resilience of infrastructure. It also requires the Department of Defense to incorporate consideration of the risks of extreme weather into certain existing Department of Defense strategies and planning documents.

Supporting the American Military Withdrawal from Afghanistan & Resettlement of Afghan Partners

The NDAA also expresses the sense of Congress about the importance of Afghan Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) program and honoring America's commitments to those Afghan partners, who at great personal risk, supported the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. It also authorizes $500 million for Department of Defense relocation support to SIVs and at-risk Afghans.

The legislation also requires the Secretary of Defense to provide in-depth reports and briefings to Congress, providing critical information on the U.S. ability to counter terrorism in Afghanistan, accountability on the military equipment left in the country, and the plan to rescue American citizens and Afghan allies who remain in the country, ensuring transparency and ongoing oversight of the security situation in Afghanistan.

In addition, the bill provides for a sense of Congress recognizing the men and women of the Armed Services for securing Hamid Karzai International Airport and supporting the largest Noncombatant Evacuation Operation in United States history. The sense of Congress also recognizes the ultimate sacrifice of the 11 Marines, the sailor, and the soldier who gave their lives for this mission.

Source