Laws Passed

1. Establishment of the Office of the National Cyber Director

Establishes an office for the principal advisor on cybersecurity policy and strategy to the President.

2. Creation of a Joint Cyber Planning Office

Establishes an office in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to coordinate public and private sector entities to plan for cyber defense operations, including identifying and detecting threats as well as plans to mitigate and recover from attacks.

3. Sense of Congress on U.S. Commitment to NATO

Reaffirmed strong congressional support for the North American Treaty Organization (NATO), which is critical to achieving United States national security interests and defense objectives around the world.

4. Defending America’s 5G Future Act

Countered foreign adversaries at home and abroad by codifying Huawei’s place on the Commerce Department Entity list; addressing foreign talent recruitment programs, and requiring the disclosure of foreign funding sources to obtain federally funded research awards.

5. Make Permanent Section 1264 of the FY18 NDAA

Requires the President to continue to report to Congress regarding the legal and policy frameworks for the use of military force and related national security operations.

6. Honoring Our Promises through Expedition (HOPE) for Afghan SIVs Act

The HOPE for Afghan SIVs Act was sponsored by FCC Members Reps. Jason Crow, Seth Moulton, Jimmy Panetta, Peter Meijer, Salud Carbajal, James Baird, Elaine Luria, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Scott Franklin, Mikie Sherrill, Chrissy Houlahan, Don Bacon, Van Taylor, and Mike Garcia. The act’s key provisions were passed in a supplemental appropriations act in late July, shortly before the withdrawal from Afghanistan unfolded. It was among the most bipartisan acts to pass Congress in recent years. The act waived a requirement that SIV applicants receive a medical screening in Afghanistan. By waiving the screening until their arrival in the United States, the act helped cut red tape and expedite the SIV application process for vulnerable Afghan allies. Additionally, the bill appropriated $500 million to evacuate Afghan allies ahead of the U.S. troop withdrawal. Another $600 million went to the State Department for refugee and migration assistance and $25 million to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement for the special immigrant visa program.

7. Averting Loss of Life and Injuring by Expediting SIVs (ALLIES) Act

The ALLIES Act, led by FCC Members Reps. Jason Crow and Peter Meijer, passed alongside the HOPE act and increased the total number of available special immigrant visas for Afghan nationals by 8,000 – thereby raising the total available visas by over 30%.

8. Welcoming Evacuees Coming from Overseas to Mitigate Effects of Displacement (WELCOMED) Act

The WELCOMED Act was sponsored by FCC Members Reps. Seth Moulton, Don Bacon, Elaine Luria, Peter Meijer, Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Jason Crow, Jimmy Panetta, Kai Kahele, Mikie Sherrill, and Conor Lamb. The bill provided crucial resettlement assistance to Afghan evacuees. Due to the rushed nature of the Afghan evacuation, many Afghans came to the U.S. under a program called ‘Humanitarian Parole’. Under Humanitarian Parole these evacuees were ineligible for the assistance that they would have received had they arrived as refugees or SIVs. The WELCOMED Act rectified this injustice and provided crucial resettlement assistance to deserving Afghans.

9. Expediting Verification of SIV Applicants Through the Synchronized Predeployment and Operation Tracker (SPOT) Database

Passed in the defense bill that President Biden should soon sign into law, this provision directs the DOD and Department of State (DOS) to submit a joint report on the use of the Synchronized Predeployment and Operational Tracker (SPOT) database to identify Afghans eligible for special immigrant visas. The SPOT database is a government contracting database and will help verify Afghan contractors who are eligible for SIVs. The rapid collapse of the Afghan government and a lack of U.S. consular presence has exacerbated the problem of identifying SIV eligible Afghans; this legislation helps address this issue.

10. Afghan War Commission Act

The Afghan War Commission Act led by FCC Members Reps. Peter Meijer and Seth Moulton, creates a non-partisan, independent commission that will conduct a comprehensive examination of the War in Afghanistan. Passed in the defense bill that President Biden should soon sign into law, the commission will be required to produce a public and unclassified report with actionable recommendations so the United States learns from our experience in Afghanistan and is prepared for future conflicts. As partisan recriminations have swirled in the aftermath of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, no serious, objective examination of the nearly 20 year war has occurred; this Commission based off of the 9/11 Commission will fix that.

11. Yearly Reports by the Department of Defense on Implementation of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence’s Recommendations

Led by FCC Member Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, this provision requires that the DOD submit yearly reports on the status of recommendations from the NSCAI. This provision requires that the DOD develop a plan to implement all NSCAI recommendations specific to the DOD, or to brief Congress on their justifications for not implementing specific recommendations.

12. Development of a Digital Infrastructure Plan

This provision establishes a DOD working group and tasks them with developing a plan to establish a modern information technology infrastructure capable of incorporating state of the art tools including artificial intelligence.

13. Establishment of Digital Recruiting Offices

This provision establishes a chief digital recruiting officer within the office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, and it charges the officer with identifying DOD digital talent needs and skills gaps and recruiting individuals to address those gaps.

14. Updating Federal Occupation Series Fields

This provision directs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to establish or update occupational series covering federal government positions in the fields of software development, software engineering, data science, and data management. The incorporation of new occupational career fields will help focus the development of personnel in these fields.

15. Integrating Emerging Technology into Professional Education

This provision establishes an executive education course within DOD on emerging technologies. The course for general officers and senior executive-level civilian leaders is to be designed specifically to prepare new general and senior executive-level civilian leaders on relevant technologies and how these technologies may be applied to military and business activities.

16. Assess the Feasibility of a National Cyber Academy

This provision requires the DOD to determine the overall workforce requirements for cyberspace and information warfare personnel across the active and reserve components of the Armed Forces. Additionally, it requires the DOD to determine and report whether the cyber mission requires a graduate level professional military education college similar to the war colleges for the Army, Navy, and Air Force.

17. National Defense Science and Technology Strategy

This provision tasks the DOD to develop a strategy articulating the science and technology priorities, goals, and investments of the DOD. Additionally, it requires the DOD to submit recommendations for future defense research, and to establish an integrated approach to the identification, prioritization, development, and fielding of emerging capabilities and technologies.

18. Arctic Security Initiative Act

The Arctic Security Initiative Act led by FCC Members Reps. Mike Gallagher and Elaine Luria, requires the DOD to conduct a security assessment of the Arctic region and establish an Arctic Security Initiative with a five-year plan to fully resource the DOD and provide individual service-specific strategies for the Arctic.

19. Taiwan Partnership Act

The Taiwan Partnership Act was led by FCC Member Rep. Mike Gallagher, and critical provisions of the act were passed as part of the NDAA. The legislation requires the DOD conduct a yearly briefing on cooperation between the National Guard and Taiwan during the preceding year and an evaluation of how to improve future cooperation.

20. Establishment of a Casualty Assistance Program Working Group

Led by FCC Member Rep. Don Bacon, this provision improves the casualty affairs programs at the Department of Defense by creating a working group to standardize casualty assistance officer training across military departments. The legislation also develops an iterative process of assessment that will continue to improve the program.

21. Modification to Annual Report on Military & Security Developments Involving the Russian Federation

Immediately following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, For Country Caucus Co-Chairs Jared Golden and Don Bacon prioritized building relationships with counterparts in the Ukrainian Parliament and engaging caucus members on all major pieces of legislation involving Ukraine. This provision tasks the Department of Defense with studying and distilling key lessons learned from the first year of this escalated conflict.

22. Sense of Congress on Taiwan Defense Relations

Expresses the sense of Congress that Taiwan’s future will be determined by peaceful means, not Chinese force, and that the United States should continue to support the development of capable, ready, and modern Taiwanese defense forces that are prepared to repel a Chinese assault.

23. Extension of the Afghan Allies Protection Act

This legislation championed by For Country Caucus members Representatives Peter Meijer and Seth Moulton (the recipients of this year’s With Honor Action Principles Before Politics Award), among other veterans in Congress, extends the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program until December 31, 2024. It further allows for an increase of 4,000 additional visas.

24. Baltic Reassurance Act

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has made it clear that defending democracies abroad requires strong, multilateral institutions and partnerships to respond to cyber threats. The Baltic Reassurance Act, led by For Country Caucus member Representative August Pfluger, directs the Department of Defense to continue its comprehensive, multilateral Baltic Defense Assessment. This assessment focuses on interoperability between Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania with NATO and efforts to improve resilience to hybrid and cyber threats in these countries.

25. Department of Defense Cyber & Digital Service Academy

Championed by For Country Caucus Representatives Chrissy Houlahan and Mike Gallagher, the DoD Cyber and Digital Academy establishes a scholarship-for-service program for students pursuing tech-related programs with a mandatory service requirement in the Department of Defense. This legislation, a recommendation from the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (AI), will help strengthen technical talent, modernize our military, and prepare for the sweeping technological advancements we face in AI and other areas.

26. DHS Roles & Responsibilities in Cyberspace Act

Tasks the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security with conducting a review of its incident response plans and sets the conditions for improvements to our cyber incident response framework.

27. Cyber Diplomacy Act

In April 2022, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the creation of a Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy to address “the national security challenges, economic opportunities, and implications for U.S. values associated with cyberspace, digital technologies, and digital policy.” Section 9502 codifies the Secretary’s announcement. This bureau will be led by the first-ever U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy Nathaniel Fick, a Marine who served formerly on the With Honor Action Advisory Board.

28. Short Course on Emerging Technologies for Senior Officials

This provision, a priority of both the Cyberspace Solarium Commission and a recommendation of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, directs the Secretary of Defense to develop a short course addressing how recent technological advances affect the activities of the Defense Department.

29. Support for R&D of Bioindustrial Manufacturing Processes

Bioindustrial manufacturing uses living organisms, cells, tissues, or enzymes, to produce materials that can be more environmentally sustainable and may help create a more resilient supply chain. This provision authorizes the Secretary of Defense to strengthen our bioindustrial manufacturing infrastructure through the creation of regional bioindustrial networks. This initiative intends to help strengthen bioindustrial manufacturing in the U.S., securing supply chains essential to the production of critical chemicals and materials. For Country Caucus Members Representatives Seth Moulton and Mike Gallagher helped establish a new bipartisan National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology that aims to provide insight and recommendations to the 118th Congress. We plan to help pass many of these recommendations into law in this important and dynamic area of rapid technological advancement.

30. Improvements to Principal Cyber Advisors

Codifies the offices and roles of the Principal Cyber Advisors (PCA) and authorizes the PCA to the Secretary of Defense to certify portions of the Department’s Cyberspace Activities Budget. It simultaneously integrates and streamlines a budgetary process for defense-related cyber capability development and security.

31. Cybersecurity Grants for Schools

With cyberattacks targeting vulnerable schools on the rise, this provision fulfills a Cyberspace Solarium Commission recommendation to increase funding for K-12 cybersecurity education, both for educators and students.

32. Enhancing Maritime Cybersecurity

Cyber attacks on the maritime ports that are integral to the supply chain increased by 400% in 2020. This provision tasks the Commandant of the Coast Guard and relevant cybersecurity agencies with developing a list of tools and resources open to the public. They will be designed to assist maritime operators in identifying, responding to, and recovering from cyber incidents.

33. Dr. David Satcher Cybersecurity Education Grant Program

A recommendation from the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, the Dr. David Satcher Cybersecurity Education Grant Program will award funding to minority-serving or historically-black institutions of higher education to establish or expand cybersecurity programs, build public-private partnerships, and improve research and development efforts.

34. Federal Cyber Scholarship-For-Service Program

The Federal Cyber Scholarship-For-Service provision enhances the existing CyberCorps program which provides funding to students in return for a period of service working in the federal government.

35. International Standards Development

A recommendation from the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, the Dr. David Satcher Cybersecurity Education Grant Program will award funding to minority-serving or historically-black institutions of higher education to establish or expand cybersecurity programs, build public-private partnerships, and improve research and development efforts.

36. Standards Development Organization Grants

Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence need standardization and guidelines – the U.S. will be stronger if our small businesses and industry leaders help lead that effort. This provision, a recommendation from the National Security Commission on AI, creates a 5-year pilot program to award grants to small businesses to support their participation in international standards development organizations.

37. Cyber Workforce Development Research & Development

A recommendation from the Cyberspace Solarium Commission this provision tasks the Director of NIST to award grants to nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education to carry out studies on the cyber workforce, its constitution, current trends, and factors influencing retention, growth, and development of that workforce.

38. Office of Research Security & Policy

A recommendation from the National Security Commission on AI, this provision establishes an Office of Research Security and Policy within the National Science Foundation. The NSF will coordinate efforts to identify and address potential security risks that threaten research integrity to prevent intellectual property theft.

39. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act

Established a new Ready Reserve Corps within the U.S. Public Health Ready Reserve Corps to aid in our response to the coronavirus and future public health emergencies.

40. Health Care Workforce Protection Act

Provided medical malpractice liability protection for volunteer health care workers supporting COVID-19 response efforts, so that doctors can volunteer their skills and help alleviate the public health workforce shortage during this crisis.

41. Promoting STEM in JROTC Act

Expanded STEM and Civic Education in America’s High Schools through the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Program.

42. $1 billion increase to AmeriCorps included in the American Rescue Plan Act

The legislation appropriated $1 billion dollars for AmeriCorps, enabling it to increase its cost of living stipends for young Americans serving in diverse communities, and expand its COVID relief efforts including outreach to hungry families and support for struggling public schools.

43. Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Expansion Act

JROTC provides invaluable leadership training and civic education to tens thousands of young Americans across the nation. Initiated by For Country Caucus Co-Chair Representative Don Bacon as a recommendation from the National Commission on Military, National Service, and Public Service, this act tasks the Secretary of Defense with expanding the number of JROTC units and developing a plan that would ensure greater access in rural, low-income, and historically underserved communities.

44. Expansion of Eligibility to Serve as Instructors in the JROTC

Current law states that JROTC instructors must be military retirees. This provision addresses the JROTC instructor shortage by expanding eligibility to servicemembers that have served at least eight years and received an honorable discharge.

45. Supporting Education Recognition for Veterans During Emergencies (SERVE) Act

Tasks the Department of Veterans Affairs with creating an online database of veterans who self report service-connected medical training. In moments of healthcare crises, this database will allow for the VA to call on these veterans for assistance.

46. Gold Star Family Tax Relief Act

Reduced the tax burden for approximately 67 thousand Gold Star families by ensuring they can continue to receive all of the survivor benefits they are entitled to.

47. Families First Coronavirus Response Act

Provided paid parental, family caregiving and medical leave to America’s more than 2.1 million civil servants.

48. Annual Pay Raise Adjustment

Increased basic pay by 3.1% for all active duty servicemembers, the largest pay increase in a decade.

49. Improvement of certain Special Victims’ Counsel authorities

Combated sexual assault in the military by increasing the number of lawyers available to ensure sexual assault survivors receive adequate help throughout the legal process.

50. Widow’s Tax Repeal

Eliminated the widow’s tax, which previously prevented more than 65,000 surviving spouses of fallen soldiers from receiving their full survivor benefits, saving these families an average of approximately $12,000 per year.

51. Childcare Resources for Serving Family Members

Expanded childcare services and financial resources to surviving family members of servicemembers who die in the line of duty.

52. VA Website Accessibility Act

Ensured greater interoperability between the Department of Defense and the VA’s electronic health systems.

53. Full Military Honors Act

Extended full military honors at the funerals of recipients of Medals of Honor and former prisoners of war.

54. Legal Services for Homeless Veterans Act

Provided legal services to veterans with outstanding warrants or fines, child support matters, license revocations, as well as specific assistance for women veterans and their families.

55. Military Spouse Assistance

Reimbursed state licensure and certification costs for military spouses, so they can continue their careers after their spouse changes duty stations.

56. Gold Star Families Park Pass Act

Provides free access to America’s National Parks and federal recreation sites for families of servicemembers who have died in the line of duty while serving in the military.

57. Global War on Terrorism Memorial Location Act

The Global War on Terrorism Memorial Location Act, led by FCC Members Reps. Jason Crow and Mike Gallagher and sponsored by every FCC Member, authorizes the establishment of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial on the National Mall. A Global War on Terrorism Memorial was authorized under a previous defense bill, but this act mandates that the Memorial be built on an area called ‘The Reserve’ in the National Mall – an area befitting America’s longest war and in-line with other memorials like the WWII and Vietnam War Memorials.

58. Brandon Act

The Brandon Act, led by FCC Members Reps. Seth Moulton and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, is named after United States Navy Petty Officer Third Class Brandon Caserta. It improves upon Department of Defense (DOD) mental health efforts by enabling service members to seek mental health services anonymously. The act also charges commanders and supervisors with ensuring warfighters obtain mental health services quickly.

59. Military Moms Matter Act

The Military Moms Matter Act, led by FCC Member Reps. Chrissy Houlahan, Don Bacon, Jared Golden, Kai Kahele, Seth Moulton, Jim Baird, and Van Taylor, improves postpartum care for service members and their families. Specifically, the act directs the DOD to establish clinical guidelines to ensure that postpartum care includes prompt mental health, pelvic health, and obstetric appointments. Additionally, the act tasks the DOD to develop a standardized policy on body composition and physical fitness tests to ensure that service members have adequate time for postpartum recovery before they are required to meet body composition and physical fitness standards.

60. Expansion of Support Programs for Special Operations Gold Star Families

Led by For Country Caucus Member Jimmy Panetta and passed as a provision in the NDAA, this legislation expands support programs and access for the surviving immediate family members of Special Operations troops killed in service to the nation. This important legislation ensures that the family members of America’s special operators killed in the line of duty have access to the services and support programs they deserve.

61. Military Hunger Prevention Act

The Military Hunger Prevention Act requires the DOD to pay a basic needs allowance to eligible low-income members of the Armed Forces. Specifically eligible are service members (with minor stipulations) that have a gross household income under 130% of the federal poverty guidelines of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The act provides that the DOD will pay service members a monthly allowance that brings their total yearly household income up to 130% of HHS poverty guidelines. The Military Hunger Prevention Act is likely to impact at least 20,000 military families, dramatically improving the lives of warfighters and their families.

62. Alexander Lofgren Veterans in Parks (VIP) Act

The Alexander Lofgren Veterans in Parks Act was introduced by FCC Member Mariannette Miller-Meeks and sponsored by FCC Members Reps. Peter Meijer, Conor Lamb, Salud Carbajal, Jason Crow, Michael Waltz, Mikie Sherrill, Elaine Luria, Jack Bergman, Brian Mast, Adam Kinzinger, Greg Steube, Mike Garcia, Tony Gonzales, Scott Franklin, and James Baird. The act makes National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands passes available, without charge, to members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and Gold Star Families. The pass covers the entrance fee and standard amenity recreation fees for all federal recreational lands and waters.

63. Military Spouse Employment Assistance

This NDAA provision orders a DOD study on military spouse employment, including barriers to entry like state licensing requirements.

64. Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act

The culmination of years of effort from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and many other Veterans Service Organizations With Honor Action partners with, this major legislation aims to help an estimated 5 million-plus veterans who may have been impacted by toxic exposures while serving our country. In addition to providing this healthcare, the PACT Act invests in new research on post-9/11 veterans’ health trends. With Honor Action endorsed the PACT Act and assisted with the bipartisan negotiations to get it passed. We plan to stay engaged with implementation of this legislation and allocation of resources.

65. Report on the Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences for Servicemembers

Initiated by For Country Caucus founding member Representative Seth Moulton, this provision directs the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), one of the most significant risk factors for suicide and future mental and physical health crises, among service members. An ACE is a potentially traumatic event that occurs between the ages of 0 and 17. With Honor worked alongside Stop Soldier Suicide in support of this legislation, which we aim to see as a first step to implementing ACEs screening for every American entering the armed forces. Please contact me if you would like to support this multiyear initiative.

66. Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas Supporting Expanded Review for Veterans in Combat Environments (SERVICE) Act

According to a 2021 study, female veterans are nearly three times more likely to develop invasive breast cancer than the rest of the population. Championed by For Country Caucus Member and medical doctor Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, this law helps address these concerning disparities by extending access to mammograms for all female veterans who served in areas with burn pits or other toxic exposures, regardless of their age, symptoms or family history.

67. Making Advances in Mammography and Medical Options for Veterans (MAMMO) Act

Led by For Country Caucus Member and medical doctor Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, this law requires the VA to develop a strategic plan to improve breast imaging services, create a telemammography pilot program for veterans in areas where the VA does not offer in-house mammography, and expand veterans’ access to clinical trials through partnerships with the National Cancer Institute.

68. Military Spouse Licensing Relief Act

According to a 2020 report released by the Department of Defense, more than two-thirds of military service members have reported that their spouse’s career prospects influence their reenlistment decisions. With nearly 50% of military spouses working in fields that require licenses, relocation based on military orders can be enormously burdensome to military spouses who must then seek to regain their professional licensure, a process which can take up valuable time and money. This provision, co-led by For County Caucus Vice Chair Representative Salud Carbajal, removes this barrier, requiring states to recognize the valid professional licenses of a military spouse that was obtained in another state.

69. Annual Report on Members Separating from the Active Duty Who File Claims for Disability Benefits

The U.S. has an obligation to acknowledge service-related disabilities. This provision requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a report which details the number of Armed Service members who have filed claims for disability benefits since 2019. The report must include how these claims were handled, when the claim was submitted relative to their discharge date from active duty, and whether a mental health check was completed.

70. VITAL Assessment Act

Initiated by For Country Caucus member Jake Ellzey, this law aims to provide critical mental health care and support to student veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Integration Academic Leadership Program.

71. Army Rangers Veterans of WWII Congressional Gold Medal Act

The U.S. Army Rangers earned their motto, “Rangers, lead the way”, scaling the staggering cliffs of Pointe du Hoc and vanquishing the enemy through brutal hand-to-hand combat on D-Day. This law, championed by For Country Caucus member and Army Ranger Representative Jason Crow in the House and Iowa Army National Guard veteran Joni Ernst in the Senate, awards the Congressional Gold Medal – “the highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions” – to these brave Army Rangers.

72. Requirements to Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs of Members of the Armed Forces for Uniform Items

Directs the Secretary of Defense to track out-of-pocket costs for uniforms incurred by service members. The findings will be used to develop an appropriate uniform replacement allowance for officers of the Armed Forces.

73. Fairness for Federal Firefighters

Creates a presumption of service-connected disabilities stemming from serious diseases. This will ensure that an estimated 10,000 federal firefighters receive the same access to job-related disability and retirement benefits as state, county, and municipal firefighters.

74. Treatment of Personally Identifiable Information Regarding Prospective Recruits

Strengthens the privacy safeguards surrounding the collection of Personally Identifiable Information in military recruitment. It authorizes the Secretary of Defense to establish the Military Recruiting Modernization Program as a pilot program to evaluate the usage of more modern technologies in handling personally identifiable information.

75. Increases in Maximum Allowable Income for Purposes of Eligibility for Basic Needs Allowance

It is estimated that 24% of servicemembers face food insecurity. This legislation addresses this unacceptable problem by increasing eligibility for the Basic Needs Allowance. Championed by founding For Country Caucus Co-Chair, Jimmy Panetta, the provision raises eligibility from household incomes that fall below 130% federal poverty guidelines to 150%, and it empowers the Secretary of Defense to increase eligibility threshold to 200% for specific cases.

76. Post-Widow’s Tax Repeal SBP Open Enrollment for Service-Disabled Veterans Act

In the 116th Congress, Representative Jared Golden and other members of the For Country Caucus successfully repealed what was dubbed as the “Widow’s Tax.” Although the repeal helped many families, nearly 1,600 service-disabled veterans had withdrawn from the Survivor Benefits Plan and stopped paying premiums. This provision creates a special open enrollment period for this targeted veteran population, allowing them to re-enroll, catch up on any missed premiums, and collect the benefits.

77. Demonstration Project on Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Services for Children of the Armed Forces

Directs the Secretary of Defense to brief the Committees on Armed Services on the adequacy and availability of mental health services for military children with mental health needs.

78. Electoral Count Reform Act

Reforms and modernizes the outdated 1887 Electoral Count Act, ensuring that electoral votes tallied by Congress accurately reflect each state’s public vote for President. This provision passed in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill, replaced ambiguous provisions of the 19th-century law with clear procedures that maintain appropriate state and federal roles in selecting the President and Vice President of the United States. With Honor Action endorsed the Electoral Count Reform Act and advocated for its passing alongside For Country Caucus member Representative Adam Kinzinger and other veterans of both parties.

79. Bipartisan Safer Communities Act

This major piece of legislation is the first gun reform and mental health bill to pass Congress in recent history. The bill was led on the House Republican side by For Country Caucus member Representative Anthony Gonzales, whose district in Texas includes Uvalde. Representative Gonzales worked with Representative Jason Crow, and Army Ranger whose district in Colorado includes Columbine, and other For Country Caucus members to pass this bill into law. While it does not fit neatly into one of the five priority areas With Honor Action and the For Country Caucus have aligned on, it is a significant accomplishment that was enabled in part by the bipartisan relationships that With Honor Action helps initiate and support.