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Congresswoman Duckworth's Amendments Cutting Wasteful Spending, Creating Jobs for Veterans and Preventing Sexual Assault Pass Armed Services Committee

Press Release

Date: June 5, 2013
Issues: Women Defense Employment and Affirmative Action Military Personnel Veterans Government Budget and Spending Criminal Justice

Today, Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth's amendments cutting wasteful spending, creating jobs for Veterans and working to prevent sexual assault passed the Armed Services Committee. The bipartisan amendments have been added to the FY14 National Defense Authorization Act and will be voted on by the House of Representatives next week.

"My neighbors sent me to Washington, DC to work with members on both sides of the aisle to get results," said Duckworth. "These bipartisan amendments present common sense solutions to reducing waste at the Pentagon, employing Veterans and putting an end to the unacceptable epidemic of sexual assault in our military."

The amendments include:

JOBS CREDENTIALING FOR VETERANS
The Amendment will add to the current Grant to Provide Stability (GPS) program and ask the military to, early and often, connect Service Members' Military Occupational Specialties with corresponding civilian credentials and possible future careers. It allows Service Members to use Military Tuition Assistance funding for courses that will earn them a credential while furthering their effectiveness while they are on active duty.

INDEPENDENT SEXUAL REVIEW PANEL REPORT ON CHAIN OF COMMAND
The Amendment will expedite the delivery of sexual review panel report to next year, rather than 18 months from now. The amendment also asks the report review the potential impact of taking sexual assault out of the military command and removing investigative and punishment authority from under the sole control of commanders.

CREATING ONE COMBAT UNIFORM TO SAVE TAXPAYER DOLLARS

In the past 11 years, two kinds of camouflage have turned into ten. A recent GAO report found the Army alone could save $82 million if it partnered with another service to have a common uniform rather than fielding yet another service-specific one. The Amendment supports establishing a joint combat uniform by 2018 and stopping taxpayers from paying millions for the government to repeat itself.


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