Griffin: NDAA Supports Our Troops and Their Essential Benefits
Press Release
Congressman Tim Griffin (AR-02) issued the following statement after House passage of the FY2015 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4435):
"This year's NDAA provides essential funding for our military, grants our troops a much-deserved pay increase, rejects President Obama's proposed cuts to TRICARE and commissary benefits, preserves military housing allowances, requires religious protections for military chaplains and servicemembers, works to prevent sexual assaults and addresses the growing threats posed by cyber attacks. It also establishes new criteria to allow for the awarding of Purple Hearts to Pvt. William Long and Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula, the victims of the 2009 Little Rock Recruiting Station shooting. I was proud to vote for this bipartisan bill that supports our brave servicemembers and their families."
The NDAA, H.R. 4435, passed the House by a vote of 325-98. It authorizes $521.3 billion in spending for national defense and an additional $79.4 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations. It is consistent with the House budget agreement, H.Con.Res. 96, which passed on April 10, 2014.
This NDAA rejects the President's proposed cuts to military commissary benefits, and Section 632 requires an independent review to find efficiencies in the commissary system. On February 5, 2014, Rep. Griffin introduced The Save our Military Shopping Benefits Act, H.R. 3996, to prevent the Department of Defense from closing or reducing operations of commissary stores and exchanges on military installations within the U.S. through 2016.
Section 571 of the NDAA would establish new criteria for awarding the Purple Heart to members killed or wounded in attacks inspired or motivated by foreign terrorist organizations. This would allow for awarding the medal to members of the Armed Forces who were killed or wounded in the attacks on Fort Hood and the Little Rock recruiting station, both in 2009. Since his election to Congress, Rep. Griffin has sought to have the Purple Heart awarded to these individuals and supported the inclusion of this language in the NDAA.
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