Press Releases

(Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Larry Bucshon, M.D. (IN-08) released the following statement after voting in support of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020 (S. 1790), a robust package that supports our troops and their ability to defend our nation:

“One of the most basic responsibilities that the Constitution gives to Congress is to provide for our nation’s defense, and the NDAA is critical to fulfilling that responsibility. I am proud to support the brave men and women who volunteer to protect our freedoms and our way of life. This bipartisan NDAA agreement enables our military to confront the threats to our national security that are on the horizon in the 21^st century by ensuring that our national defense is properly funded and that our troops have the tools they need to get the job done.

“Additionally, this NDAA ensures that our troops and their families are properly cared for by authorizing the largest pay-raise in a decade, repealing the Widow’s Tax, and reforming privatized military housing.  It also delivers on a number of key priorities for the Trump Administration, including establishment of the U.S. Space Force as the sixth branch of our military and 12 weeks of paid parental leave for "civilian" federal employees, a benefit military members already have. This is an important priority of the Trump Administration that has been led by Ivanka Trump.”

Background

• Authorizes $738 billion in defense funding, providing the resources needed to continue to rebuild readiness, advance modernization of the nuclear triad, develop emerging technologies, enhance missile defense, and confront our adversaries. 
• Provides a 3.1% pay-raise for our troops, the largest increase in a decade.
• Does not include any prohibitions on funding a border wall nor restrictions affecting the counterdrug programs that construct fences along the border to block drug smuggling corridors.
• Includes a three-year phased repeal of the Widow’s Tax, ensuring the families of our fallen heroes receive the full benefits they deserve.
• Maintains long-standing prohibitions on transferring detainees from Guantanamo Bay, constructing detention facilities in the U.S., and closing Guantanamo.
• Provides an additional $5.3 billion in emergency funding for military installations damaged by natural disasters.
• Establishes the United States Space Force as the sixth branch of the military.
• Provides up to 12 weeks of Paid Parental Leave for the Defense Department, Intelligence Community, and across the federal government, a key administration priority.