Stefanik Helps House Pass FY21 NDAA, Secures Significant Wins for Fort Drum and National Security Interests

Press Release

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik voted today in favor of the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Over the past few months, she has played a leading role with her House colleagues on passing the NDAA to give our military and service members the resources they need.

"I am proud to be the number one advocate for Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division each year during the NDAA process, and this year I successfully secured a number of wins for Fort Drum and my district," said Congresswoman Stefanik. "This critical piece of legislation will deliver a pay raise for our troops, increase funding for science and technology investments, establish a National Artificial Intelligence Initiative, and names Fort Drum as a preferred missile defense site. Our nation's men and women in uniform deserve the maximum amount of resources that we can provide in order to help them protect our nation and our national interests. I will continue to be a strong advocate of those whom I represent at Fort Drum and across the country who work to protect our freedoms each day."

Congresswoman Stefanik, as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, fought for a few key provisions in particular:

East Coast Missile Defense Location Specifically Designated at Fort Drum

Establishes and names Fort Drum as the preferred site for a land-based missile defense underlayer

Wins for Fort Drum and North Country Military Community

3% pay raise for our troops

Directs DOD study on cyber infrastructure for Mission Training Complex

Directs DOD study on infrastructure improvements to Childcare Development Centers

Directs DOD to conduct a study and inventory of firefighting operations, management, and equipment

Allows civilian DoD emergency and protection workers stationed on a military base access to the commissary and exchanges

Directs USD for Acquisition and Sustainment to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services by February 1, 2021, as to military installations where biomass will be considered during analysis of alternatives for achieving additional installation energy resiliency (Fort Drum is the only military installation that is 100% energy-resilient with the long term biomass Re-Energy contract)

Establishes a pilot program to give participating servicemembers the option of cryopreserving their male gametes and female eggs before deploying to a combat zone

Authorizes additional funding to community schools who educate DOD children

Servicemembers and Military Families

Requires Transition Assistance Programs (TAP) to educate servicemembers of sexual assault and sexual harassment, on care provided by the Veteran's Administration (VA)

Requires the Department of Defense to establish a standard phrase that service members may use to initiate a confidential, mandatory mental health evaluation referral

Adds permanent coverage for DBT Mammography to TRICARE

Increases female and minority representation in the Armed Forces

Ensures that election officials track and confirm the receipt of military and overseas absentee ballots

Audits the medical conditions of individuals and the association between adverse exposure in unsafe or unhealthy housing units and the health of those individuals

Authorizes funding for the Women in Military Service for America museum

Expands eligibility for the Special Operations Force's Preservation of the Force and Family program

Establishes a private-public partnership and collaboration to enhance and expand Professional Military Education

Wins for New York State -- National Guard and Reserves

Directs DOD to brief Congress on the feasibility of creating a policy for a flexible drill schedule to allow for up to twelve weeks of parental leave

Standardizes payment of hazardous duty incentive pay for members of the Guard and Reserve components of the Armed Forces

Restores funding to the High Energy Laser Advanced Technology Research

Directs DOD to fun the Military Munitions Response program to clean unexploded ordinance on military installations around the stat

Testing for Harmful Water Contamination and Providing for Clean-Up

Increases funding transfer from DOD to the CDC to study PFOS/PFOA contamination in drinking water

Increases access for National Guard to access Defense Environmental Remediation monies to study PFOS/PFOA

Intelligence, Emerging Threats, and Capabilities

Authorizes over $100 billion for Research Development Test and Evaluation

Invests and strengthens America's position in emerging technologies like cyber, AI, biotechnology, autonomous systems, and others

Establishes a National Artificial Intelligence Initiative

Authorizes a number of recommendations from the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence that Congresswoman Stefanik ushered through in the FY19 NDAA

Strategic Forces

Funds critical modernization of our nuclear forces

Begins work on the W93 warhead to support STRATCOM requirements for the sea-based leg of our nuclear triad

Seapower and Projection Forces

Fully funds the Columbia Class B-21 submarine

Tactical Air and Land Forces

Maintains detailed oversight of critical aircrafts such as the F/A-18, A-10, and the F-35

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