Warner & Kaine Introduce NDAA Amendment to Block Commissary Privatization

Press Release

U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine today introduced an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would prevent the Department of Defense (DoD) from privatizing commissaries at five major installations until a study, requested in last year's NDAA, to assess the costs and benefits of privatization is completed and properly taken into consideration by Congress.

"It would be imprudent for Congress to authorize this privatization of commissaries -- possibly jeopardizing an important benefit for our military men and women, their families, as well as retired servicemembers -- before receiving the thorough study on the potential impacts as requested in last year's NDAA," said Sens. Warner and Kaine.

The following Senators joined Warner and Kaine in introducing the amendment: U.S. Sens. John Boozman (R-AR), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Richard Burr (R-NC), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Bob Casey (D-PA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Dean Heller (R-NV), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), James Lankford (R-OK), Edward Markey (D-MA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jon Tester (D-MT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tom Udall (D-NM), David Vitter (R-LA), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

The Senate's NDAA for Fiscal Year 2016, as passed out of committee on May 14, 2015, included language that sought to launch a pilot program to begin the privatization of military commissaries at five locations. Specifically, the amendment:

Required a study on the impact privatizing commissaries would have on military families before a pilot program could be implemented and would look at modifications to the commissary system, common business processes, privatization in whole or in part, analysis of different pricing constructs and impacts on MWR programs.
Required a comptroller-general assessment of the plan no later than 120 days after the report is submitted.

The amendment was adopted on the Senate floor and included in the final NDAA signed into law by the President last year.

The requested study is currently underway but has not been completed at the time of this press release. This year's amendment would block language in the Senate bill that, once again, seeks to begin the process of privatization, and would restrict any such action until completion of the study and thorough review by Congress.

The following 43 organizations are opposed to the privatization language currently in the bill:

Air Force Sergeants Association
American Federation of Government Employees
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations Teamsters
American Legion
American Logistics Association
American Military Retirees Association
American Military Society
American Retirees Association
American Veterans
Armed Forces Marketing Council
Army and Navy Union
Association of the United States Army
Association of the United States Navy
Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States
Fleet Reserve Association
Gold Star Widows
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America
Military Officers Association of America
Military Order of Foreign Wars
Military Order of the Purple Heart
National Association for Uniformed Services
National Defense Committee
National Guard Association of the United States
National Industries for the Blind
National Military Family Association
National Military and Veterans Alliance
Naval Enlisted Reserve Association
Military Partners and Families Coalition
Reserve Officer Association
Society of Military Widows
The American Military Partner Association
The Coalition to Save Our Military Shopping Benefits
The Flag and General Officers Network
The Retired Enlisted Association
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors
Uniformed Services Disabled Retirees
United States Army Warrant Officers Association
Veterans of Foreign Wars
Vietnam Veterans of America

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