Today, the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the 2020 fiscal year. The sweeping measure contained several of Rep. Salud Carbajal’s amendments—and a number of big wins for California’s 24th district.
“Our Central Coast values are strongly represented in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act. From a service member pay raise and military family protections, to enhanced research opportunities for our universities, to creating offshore wind energy opportunities and enhancing wildfire protections—I’m proud of the wins we’ve secured for our community and the nation,” said Rep. Carbajal. “This is a historic bill and, as a veteran, a member of Congress and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I’m glad to have done my part to help it pass.”
Rep. Carbajal’s passed provisions included:
- Millions in research funding for schools like Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara to form critical research partnerships with the military, and help enhance technology and readiness.
- Directive for the Department of Defense to further analyze offshore wind compatibility, and to not issue final opposition to offshore wind in California.
- Provisions to lift needless, Trump-era citizenship restrictions that were placed on Lawful Permanent Residents who serve in the military.
- Increase in medical personnel, training and equipment for the underserved Marine Corps Recruit Training Regiment, ensuring service members are healthy and cared for.
- Enhanced wildfire prevention measures, directing the Department of Defense to work with other agencies to share real-time heat sensor satellite data with local first responders in order to detect and prevent the spread of fires.
- Creation of a process to allow service members whose records were destroyed in the National Personnel Records Center fire to use other unofficial sources of information, like photographs, eyewitness accounts and postmarked letters, to determine benefits and decoration eligibility.
- Millions in funding for CA-24 industry projects to advance military readiness, strengthen technology and boost the local economy.
- Designated study of causes of infertility, including fibroids endometriosis, endocrine disorders—many of which are service-related—in servicemembers and veterans.
- Encourages the U.S. to maintain space superiority and strong space capabilities.
More NDAA wins:
- 3.1% pay raise for service members.
- Tenant bill of rights to ensure protections for families in military housing.
- Prevents the president from using defense funding to pay for the unnecessary border wall.
- Stops the Department of Defense from deploying troops to the southern border.
- Reverses Trump’s ban on transgender service members in the military.
- Millions to clean up perfluorinated (PFAS) chemicals in drinking water on and near military bases.
- $25 million for the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program to support partnerships that advance military readiness and conservation.
- Reverses the Trump administration’s soft stance on Russia by enhancing election security efforts, and requiring the development of strategies to respond to Russian aggression.
- Prohibits military force against Iran, unless first approved by Congress.
The National Defense Authorization Act is a bill that annually provides funding and oversight for the nation’s military, defense and security needs. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Carbajal was heavily involved in the 21-hour-long committee markup of the NDAA last month. The NDAA bill now moves to the Senate.
