Howard P. "Buck" McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015

Floor Speech

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Mr. PETERS of California. Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to H.R. 4435, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended.

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am proud of the bipartisan work we did this year to craft the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, and I want to thank Chairman McKeon, in his last year leading the committee, for his leadership and commitment to bipartisanship.

Mr. Speaker, in San Diego, Coronado, and Poway, we are proud of the role our region plays in national security. My district alone is home to seven military installations, including MCAS Miramar, the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Navy Region Southwest, Naval Base Coronado, and Naval Base Point Loma.

San Diego County is home to more than 235,000 veterans, and this year, we launched the national model Military Transition Support Project, which will provide nonprofit and volunteer help for servicemembers transitioning to the workplace and private sector. San Diego is a military town, and we are proud of it.

Defense is also a big part of our economy, responsible for more than 300,000 jobs in the region, accounting for almost $25 billion in direct spending last year, and we were the home port of 53 ships, with an economic impact of $4 billion.

It is fair to say, when the government makes investments in our military or sharp cuts like sequestration, we feel it locally.

This amendment would ensure that, as we make our investments in national security of nearly $600 billion, in San Diego and across the country, we use that money to foster economic opportunity and equality here at home.

My amendment ensures that the jobs we are creating are good jobs and pay the same minimum wage standard of $10.10 an hour as we are moving to statewide in California.

Those working full time to support our national security mission shouldn't be in poverty, struggling with the choice of food for their children, or keeping the lights on in the house.

My amendment would also ensure pay equity. It is not news, Mr. Speaker, that women across the country continue to face pay inequity. In San Diego, women still make 75 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts on average.

This amendment would prohibit defense contracts to companies that don't provide equal pay for equal work. That is not a women's issue; it is a family issue. Families in San Diego and across the country increasingly rely on women's wages to pay bills, educate their children, and save for retirement.

Along with working to close the wage gap for women, this amendment codifies into law a Department of Defense policy that is already in effect to allow women in combat, and this amendment keeps our promise to servicemembers through the GI Bill.

Recently, Sallie Mae agreed to pay $97 million to settle allegations that military servicemembers were charged excessive interest and fees on their student loans. That is absolutely appalling and unacceptable.

The amendment would require an investigation of these deceptive scam practices, ensure that they are stopped, and would require in the future that borrowers are informed of their rights.

Our men and women in uniform and our veterans deserve our protection against fraud and to see that their GI Bill supports a high-quality education that leads to a high-quality job and nothing less.

Finally, with the drawdown in Afghanistan and the rebalance to the Pacific, many of our servicemembers are traveling extensive distances to and from deployments.

During this travel, many in uniform are being charged excessive baggage fees by commercial airlines. The amendment would prohibit airlines from collecting these fees, much of which is being charged on lifesaving equipment that servicemembers are buying and bringing in on their own because the Department doesn't supply what is necessary.

While it may seem like a small change, it will ease the burden on servicemembers. Charging baggage fees is not the way we should be sending off or welcoming home our troops.

In today's bill, we are authorizing nearly $600 billion. As we support our national security and defense abroad, we have the chance to promote economic opportunity and equal rights here at home. Our warfighters and all Americans who work to support them deserve nothing less.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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