CHARLOTTE, NC – With Honor Action praises the inclusion of seven priority legislative amendments in the House of Representatives’ 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The important provisions will help preserve America’s technological competitiveness, enhance our national security, improve the lives of our service members and veterans, and assist in the resettlement of our Afghan allies.

“These seven amendments build upon a robust list of twelve important NDAA provisions advanced by the bipartisan, veteran-led For Country Caucus, in the House of Representatives.” said Rye Barcott, With Honor Action CEO and Co-Founder. “We look forward to working alongside the Senate to ensure these provisions and many other provisions on national security, national service, and military communities make it to the President’s desk for signature into law.”

Of particular note, advancing the recommendations of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) and securing proper oversight are both immediate and long-term priorities of With Honor Action. The items that passed the House yesterday include two recommendations from the NSCAI that the For Country Caucus Sub-Committee on AI moved forward. The For Country Caucus Sub-Committee on AI Members includes Representatives Kai Kahele, Don Bacon, Seth Moulton, Tony Gonzales, Mikie Sherrill, and Van Taylor. Representative Taylor also serves as the Co-Chair of the For Country Caucus alongside Representative Jared Golden.

1) Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Memorial Location Act – a provision, led by For Country Caucus Members Representatives and GWOT veterans Jason Crow and Mike Gallagher, establishing a location on the Reserve of the National Mall for a GWOT Memorial. Reference this Washington Post op-ed that With Honor Action worked on with the six surviving former Secretaries of Defense who led the Department of Defense during the GWOT.

2) National Digital Reserve Corps Act – an NSCAI recommendation, led by For Country Caucus Member Representative Tony Gonzales, establishing the National Digital Reserve Corps, a program within GSA that would allow private sector tech talent to work for the federal government for 30 days per calendar year in order to take on short term digital, cybersecurity, and AI projects.

3) Onward to Opportunity Act– a provision, led by For Country Caucus Member Representative Mikie Sherrill, implementing a pilot program which will use new screening tools and industry specific training pathways to optimize the assistance available for transitioning service members through the Veterans Administration.

4) Get Rewarding Outdoor Work for our Veterans Act – a provision, led by For Country Caucus Members Conor Lamb and Mike Waltz, directing the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a two-year pilot program employing veterans for Departments of the Interior and Agriculture conservation and resource management projects.

5) Alexander Lofgren Veterans in Parks Act – a provision, led by For Country Caucus Member Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, providing free annual America the Beautiful Passes to current military service members and free lifetime America the Beautiful Passes to veterans and members of Gold Star Families so they can access our National Parks and public lands at no cost.

6) National Security Commision on AI DoD Reporting Requirement Amendment – an NSCAI recommendation, led by For Country Caucus Members Representatives Chrissy Houlahan and Don Bacon, requiring the Secretary of Defense to submit yearly reports on how NSCAI recommendations are being implemented to the Congressional defense committees.

7) Afghan Refugees of Special Humanitarian Concern Amendment – a provision which includes elements of For Country Caucus Members Representative Jason Crow and Peter Meijers’ Showing American Values by Evacuating (SAVE) Afghan Partners Act, it expands the Special Immigrant Visa program by making clear that those employed under cooperative agreements and grants are eligible for the Afghan SIV program.

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With Honor Action is a cross-partisan movement focused on supporting military veterans who want to work across the aisle and put principles before politics while serving again in Congress. With Honor Action’s advisory board includes post-9/11 veterans and Gold Star family members — Chris Howard, Ryan Manion, and Medal of Honor Recipient Florent Groberg — as well as prominent American leaders such as Secretary Robert Gates, Senator Tom Daschle, Admiral Michael Mullen, Gen. Nadja West, and David Gergen.

With Honor Action is a 501(c)(4), which serves as the organization’s policy and social-welfare arm. With Honor has an affiliated federally registered “super PAC” called With Honor Fund.

CHARLOTTE, NC – With Honor Action is pleased to see twelve legislative priorities of the bipartisan veteran For Country Caucus that we work alongside advance through this week’s hearings for the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). These important provisions will improve our national security, expand civic education in our high schools, and provide life-saving support to our troops, veterans, and military dependents.

“In a time of such bitter polarization and dysfunction, it’s encouraging to see members from across party lines coming together to advance critical legislation for our national security, civic education, and veterans affairs,” said Rye Barcott, With Honor Action CEO and Co-Founder. “I’m especially pleased to see the inclusion of a plan to double the size of Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) in public schools across the country. This is a key piece of the Inspire to Serve Act that the late Senator John McCain initiated, and the founding co-chairs and vice chairs of the For Country Caucus introduced in the 116th Congress. Doubling our JROTC units across the nation is especially timely now as our public schools wrestle with massive educational gaps and challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Below are provisions of special significance:

1) Establish support programs for Gold Star family members of Special Operations Forces.

2) Establish a basic needs allowance for junior enlisted military families.

3) Initiate a plan to dramatically expand Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) across the nation.

4) Improve access to postpartum depression and anxiety screenings for service women and dependents.

5) Increase cooperation between the United States and Israel on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) research through the establishment of a grant program.

6) Provide incentive and special duty pays to National Guard and Reserve service members at the same rate as their active-duty counterparts.

7) Update the National Guard’s 1095 rule to improve mission readiness.

8) Establish a grant program to enable small- and medium-sized U.S. Artificial Intelligence companies to participate in international standardization efforts.

9) Call on the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a robust Department of Defense strategy for modernizing the digital ecosystem by establishing performance objectives and accompanying metrics for Artificial Intelligence and digital readiness.

10) Establish new occupational series and associated policies covering Federal Government positions in the fields of artificial intelligence, software development, software engineering, data science, and knowledge management.

11) Allow service members to anonymously report and seek mental health treatment.

12) Authorize the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) to allow those who withdrew prior to the “Widow’s Tax” repeal to re-enroll and catch up on missed premiums, thus ensuring a continuous lifetime annuity for their dependents.

With Honor Action will work vigorously to ensure these priorities make it to the final passage of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act.

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With Honor Action is a cross-partisan movement focused on supporting military veterans who want to work across the aisle and put principles before politics while serving again in Congress. With Honor Action’s advisory board includes post-9/11 veterans and Gold Star family members — Chris Howard, Ryan Manion, and Medal of Honor Recipient Florent Groberg — as well as prominent American leaders such as Secretary Robert Gates, Senator Tom Daschle, Admiral Michael Mullen, Gen. Nadja West, and David Gergen.

With Honor Action is a 501(c)(4), which serves as the organization’s policy and social-welfare arm. With Honor has an affiliated federally registered “super PAC” called With Honor Fund.