With Honor Action Calls on SASC Leadership to Pass Bipartisan Priorities led by For Country Caucus Members in the 2024 NDAA

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Washington, D.C.- After the Senate voted to go to conference with the House of Representatives, With Honor Action sent a letter to Senators Jack Reed and Roger Wicker, the leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), urging them to maintain four bipartisan provisions championed by members of the For Country Caucus in the final version of the FY 2024 NDAA that would greatly contribute to US military readiness. These provisions are already included in the House-passed version of the bill and would help modernize the Department of Defense, and support military families and veterans. 

With Honor Action’s endorsed provisions for the 2024 NDAA:

  • The Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act (HR 2597 / S. 1095; Section 601 in H.R. 2670)
    • Extends the same active duty parental leave policy to National Guard and Reserve service members by expanding eligibility beyond birthing mothers to include fathers, adoptive parents, and foster parents.
  • Military Service in Determining Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Eligibility for Federal Employees (H.R. 2670, Sec. 1118)
    • Allows a federal employee’s military service to count towards the 12 month eligibility requirement for receiving benefits under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
  • Expands DoD’s Troops to Teachers program to include JROTC instructors and administrators and reauthorizes the program for an additional two years (HR 2670, Section 574)
    • Provides a pathway for veterans to become JROTC instructors under the DOD’s Troops to Teachers program and extends the life of the program for an additional two years.
  • Organization and Management of the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and Codification and Elevation of the Defense Innovation Unit (HR 2670, Section 925)
    • Codifies the DIU, establishing and identifying units in each service branch to acquire and field scalable technology, and clarifies and elevates principal DIU leaders to report directly to the Secretary of Defense.

“It is critical to our national security that we pass the National Defense Authorization Act every fiscal year. With Honor Action urges SASC leadership to support and include these critical provisions spearheaded by members of the For Country Caucus,” said Rye Barcott, Co-Founder and CEO of With Honor Action. “These pieces of legislation are common sense ideas that would strengthen national security and national competitiveness, improve military readiness, and better support military families and veterans.”

As the conference committee goes over what will be included in the final version of the annual defense bill, With Honor Action calls on Senate Armed Services Committee leadership to include these provisions and maintain our military readiness and national security, and support our nation’s heroes and their families. The full version of the letter outlines each provision in detail and can be found below:

The Honorable Jack Reed                  The Honorable Roger Wicker
U.S. Senate                                            U.S. Senate
728 Hart Senate Office Building       425 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510                      Washington, D.C. 20510

RE: FY24 NDAA Provisions in Support of Modernizing the DoD, Military Families, and Veterans

Dear Chairman Reed and Ranking Member Wicker:
As the conference committee begins to consider the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24 NDAA), With Honor Action respectfully requests you include the provisions discussed below, which are all included in the House-passed version of the bill. These provisions substantially contribute to military family readiness, improving the lives of our veterans and modernizing our military force.

Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act (HR 2597 / S. 1095; Section 601 in H.R. 2670)

This provision would put parental leave eligibility for members of the National Guard and Reserves on par with active-duty servicemembers. Currently, only birthing mothers are authorized to take parental leave for three drilling periods. This would extend that same leave to fathers, adoptive parents, and long-term foster care parents. To be clear, this provision only extends the same benefits to Reserve and National Guard parents that active-duty parents are already entitled to.

Military Service in Determining Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Eligibility for Federal Employees (H.R. 2670, Sec. 1118)

This legislation allows a federal employee’s military service to count towards the 12-month eligibility requirement for receiving benefits under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This would put FMLA eligibility on par with other federal benefits, such as retirement and vacation days, which already credit military service for eligibility. As you know, approximately 500,000 veterans have chosen to continue serving our nation as civil servants, comprising about 25% of the
federal workforce.

Expands DoD’s Troops to Teachers program to include JROTC instructors and administrators and reauthorizes the program for an additional two years (HR 2670, Section 574)

The Troops-to-Teachers program not only provides veterans with the path to a career as an educator but also provides kids with positive role models who served in the military. Given the ongoing recruiting crisis, such a program is a significant force multiplier for our overworked military recruiters. Failing to include this legislation will sunset this program.

Organization and Management of the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and Codification and Elevation of the Defense Innovation Unit (HR 2670, Section 925)

This provision codifies the DIU, establishing and identifying units in each service branch to acquire and field scalable technology, and clarifies and elevates principal DIU leaders to report directly to SECDEF. As our military seeks to modernize itself in an era of great power competition in a global environment of proliferating technology, this provision ensures that we can field new, innovative equipment that may be the difference between deterrence and war or victory and defeat.

Respectfully,
Rye Barcott, Co-founder and CEO
With Honor Action

Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act Letter

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The Honorable Jack Reed                                                         The Honorable Mike Rogers
728 Hart Senate Office Building U.S. Senate                        2469 Rayburn House Office U.S. House of Representatives

The Honorable Roger Wicker                                                  The Honorable Adam Smith
425 Russell Senate Office Building U.S. Senate                   2264 Rayburn House Office Building U.S. House of Representatives

RE: Including the Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act (HR 2597 / S. 1095; Section 601 in H.R. 2670) in the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act

Dear Chairman Reed, Ranking Member Wicker, Chairman Rogers, and Ranking Member Smith:

We write in support of Section 601 of the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024. This important provision puts parental leave eligibility for members of the National Guard and Reserves on par with active-duty servicemembers so that all parents can spend these critical first three months with their new children.

The undersigned organizations urge you to keep this section intact during conference in order to support our Reserve and National Guard servicemembers and their families. Under current law for drilling members of the Reserves and National Guard, only birth mothers are authorized to take parental leave for three monthly drilling periods upon the birth of a child. Section 601 expands this authorization to include all new parents—including fathers, adoptive parents, and parents of children newly placed in long-term foster care settings. To be clear, this provision only extends the same benefits to Reserve and National Guard parents that active-duty parents are already entitled to.

At a time when we are seeing recruiting and retention challenges across the services, this simple fix helps to ensure that all military parents are fully and equally supported as they build their families. This parental leave allows Reservists and Guardsmen to focus on settling into their new family routine before returning to monthly drills, where they can then focus more intentionally on their military mission.

Section 601 was included on a bipartisan basis in the House-passed NDAA and has bipartisan support in the Senate. It closes a gap for Reserve and National Guard members and allows their parental leave benefits to apply to mothers as well as fathers bringing a new child into the home. We respectfully urge you to retain this section in the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 to support all of our military families.

Sincerely,

Blue Star Families
Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)
National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS)
Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
With Honor Action

 

 

With Honor Action Presents Reps Pat Ryan and John James with the Freshman Fireteam Award

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Washington, D.C.- With Honor Action honored For Country Caucus members, Rep. John James and Rep. Pat Ryan, with our first “Freshman Fireteam” award this evening in the Capitol Rotunda. 

With Honor Action was founded to encourage and foster bipartisan veteran leadership in Congress, and this year the organization has decided to recognize two first-term lawmakers that consistently follow the With Honor pledge of leading with integrity, civility, and courage. 

Rep. James, a Republican, and Rep. Ryan, a Democrat, may hold different beliefs and opinions, but they share a similar background in service. They attended the United States Military Academy at West Point and served alongside each other, putting service to each other and the country above all else. The bond they share from their military experience gives them the unique ability to put their political differences aside and work together to get things done in Congress. 

“Leadership in the military often begins with battle buddies in fireteams. This inaugural With Honor Action award recognizes the critical importance of relationships rooted in trust across party lines in Congress. We are delighted to present the first one to For Country Caucus members, West Point classmates, and Iraq war veterans Reps. John James and Pat Ryan,” said Rye Barcott, With Honor Action CEO & Co-Founder. 

In their short time in Congress, these two freshman lawmakers have consistently shown their willingness to work in a bipartisan fashion. During this time, they have worked together on legislation to help our veterans and servicemembers with bills such as the Veterans Entry to Apprenticeship Act. They continue to be leaders in Congress and the bipartisan For Country Caucus of thirty principled veterans in the US House who are committed to serving with integrity, civility, and courage. 

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With Honor Action fights polarization in Congress by supporting principled veterans across party lines who pledge to serve with integrity, civility, and courage. With Honor Action works alongside the bipartisan For Country Caucus in Congress to pass critical legislation for our nation. Learn more about our work at withhonor.org 

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.

With Honor Action and USAA Send Letter Advocating for Support of Military Families and Veterans in the FY24 NDAA

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Today, With Honor Action and USAA sent this letter to the leaders of the Armed Services Committees advocating for provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24 NDAA) that provide a higher quality of life for our servicemembers and their families. Check out the full text of the letter below.

The Honorable Jack Reed                 The Honorable Mike Rogers
U.S. Senate                                          U.S. House of Representatives
728 Hart Senate Office Building      2469 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510                     Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Roger Wicker           The Honorable Adam Smith
U.S. Senate                                          U.S. House of Representatives
425 Russell Senate Office Building 2264 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510                    Washington, D.C. 20515

RE: FY24 NDAA Provisions in Support of Military Families and Veterans

Dear Chairman Reed, Ranking Member Wicker, Chairman Rogers, and Ranking Member Smith:

As the House-Senate National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Conference Committee  considers compromise language for the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) NDAA, With Honor Action and  USAA respectfully urge you to include the provisions discussed below, which support military  family readiness, military spouse employment, military housing needs, and suicide prevention  efforts. Addressing these significant areas of need will improve the lives of our nation’s  servicemembers, their families, and veterans.  

Founded by veterans, With Honor Action is committed to lessening polarization in Congress  while supporting our military and advocating for a strong national security. For more than a  century, USAA has made the promise to support and advocate for the military community and  their families in their time of need. We are committed to advocating for policies that strengthen  veteran suicide prevention efforts, support the financial readiness of military families through a  5.2% pay raise for servicemembers and increased housing support, and facilitate meaningful  employment opportunities for military spouses. In June, USAA launched Face the Fight™, a  coalition of purpose-driven organizations, including With Honor Action, focused on raising  awareness and support for preventing veteran suicide. The mission of the initiative is to break the  stigma of seeking help, increase the conversation about the problem and complement the efforts  of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Defense (DoD) and many others to  stop veteran suicide. 

We believe the House- and Senate-passed NDAA sections outlined below (see Appendix A)  would meaningfully support military families and veterans and urge you to include them in the  FY24 NDAA.  

Military Family Readiness: 

The inclusion of the Military Service in Determining FMLA Eligibility for Federal Employees (H.R. 2670, Sec. 1118) will allow a federal employee’s military service to count towards the 12- month eligibility requirement for receiving benefits under the Family Medical Leave Act  (FMLA). This would put FMLA eligibility on par with other federal benefits, such as retirement  and vacation days, which already credit military service for eligibility. As you know,  approximately 500,000 veterans have chosen to continue serving our nation as civil servants, 

comprising about 25% of the federal workforce. This legislation would be critical in helping  those veterans and, according to the Congressional Budget Office, would have minimal  budgetary impact. As we face a military recruitment crisis, it is imperative that we show potential  recruits we value their service and support their transition out of the military.  

The Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act (H.R. 2670, Sec. 601) would align National  Guard and Reserve parental leave eligibility with Active Duty standards. Currently, for the  National Guard and Reserve, only birthing mothers are eligible for parental leave. This  legislation would expand leave eligibility to include fathers and adoptive parents, as is already  the case for Active Duty servicemembers.  

Military Spouse Employment: 

Certain provisions in both chambers’ bills strengthen military spouse employment opportunities,  a central component of military family readiness. Military spouses have historically faced  unemployment rates around five times the national average due to the unique sacrifices and  demands of military life, including deployments, Permanent Changes of Station, and caregiving  responsibilities. Both bills would expand upon circumstances where military spouses may be  reimbursed for licensing, certification, and business relocation costs to include relocations due to  a servicemember transferring from a regular component into the Selected Reserve of the  uniformed service (H.R. 2670, Sec. 635; S. 2226, Sec. 606). Both bills would also amend federal  hiring authorities to make it easier for military spouses to attain and maintain federal  employment (H.R. 2670, Sec. 1116; S. 2226, Secs. 11332 and 11333). We also support language  in the House-passed NDAA that would direct DoD to coordinate with state licensing authorities  to increase awareness of existing license portability authorities (H.R. 2670, Sec. 640).  

Military Housing Support: 

Several provisions in both bills make critical changes to housing benefits and provide the DoD  more flexibility to better meet servicemembers’ housing needs. We support both bills’ inclusion  of language modifying the calculation of the basic allowance for housing (BAH) for junior  enlisted servicemembers with dependents (H.R. 2670, Sec. 622; S. 2226, Sec. 602). This  bipartisan language will help ensure military families can access off-base housing in their  communities. We also urge DoD to restore BAH to covering 100% of estimated housing costs,  rather than the current 95%. 

Mental Health and Suicide Prevention:  

With Honor Action and USAA, through Face the Fight, are focused on doing our part to stop suicide in the military community, and we appreciate bipartisan efforts to address this crisis  through the NDAA. We particularly support the inclusion of the House language directing the  Secretaries of the military departments to widely post 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline materials  on military installations and in online communications (H.R. 2670, Sec. 594). The House bill  also contains an important provision directing DoD to establish a program to monitor and assist  members of the Armed Forces at risk of suicide who have been recently discharged from health  care (H.R. 2670, Sec. 604). We also urge inclusion of provisions from both bills that would  expand access to mental health care for servicemembers and their families (H.R. 2670, Secs.  593, 655, and 704; S. 2226, Secs. 532 and 705) as well as the House provision establishing a  DoD task force on mental health.

Together, these provisions would provide common sense reforms and positively transform the  lives of our nation’s servicemembers. With Honor Action and USAA are proud to stand with our  military and veteran community and look forward to seeing these provisions enacted in the FY24  NDAA.  

Respectfully, 

 

Rye Barcott, Co-founder                     John Hughes, SVP, Government &
and CEO, With Honor Action             Industry Relations, USAA

Appendix A: FY24 NDAA Provisions in Support of Military Families and Veterans Military Family Readiness: 

  • H.R. 2670, Sec. 1118. Military Service in Determining FMLA Eligibility for  Federal Employees. 
  • H.R. 2670, Sec. 601. Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act. 

Military Spouse Employment: 

  • H.R. 2670, Sec. 1116, Military Spouse Employment Act. 
  • H.R. 2670, Sec. 635. Expansion of eligibility for reimbursement of qualified  licensure, certification, and business relocation costs incurred by military spouses.  • S. 2226, Sec. 606. Expansion of eligibility for reimbursement of qualified  licensure, certification, and business relocation costs incurred by military spouses.  

Military Housing Support: 

  • H.R. 2670, Sec. 622. Improved calculation of basic allowance for housing for  junior enlisted members. 
  • H.R. 2670, Sec. 623. Expansion of authority of a commanding officer to authorize  a basic allowance for housing for a member performing initial field or sea duty. • H.R. 2670, Sec. 624. Dual basic allowance for housing for training. • S. 2226, Sec. 603. Basic allowance for housing for members assigned to vessels  undergoing maintenance. 
  • S. 2226, Sec. 604. Dual basic allowance for housing for training for certain  members of reserve components. 
  • S. 2226, Sec. 605; H.R. 2670, Sec. 621. Modification of calculation of gross  household income for basic needs allowance to address areas of demonstrated  need. 
  • S. 2226, Sec. 607. Cost-of-living allowance in the continental United States: high cost areas. 
  • S. 2226, Sec. 608. OCONUS cost-of-living allowance: adjustments. • S. 2226, Sec. 611. Government Accountability Office study on process for  determining cost-of-living allowances for members of the uniformed services  assigned to the continental United States, Hawaii, Alaska, and overseas locations. 

Mental Health and Suicide Prevention: 

  • H.R. 2670, Sec. 519. Sense of Congress relating to measures to address suicide  among former National Guard and Reserve components. 
  • H.R. 2670, Sec. 593. Due date for report on efforts to prevent and respond to  deaths by suicide in the Navy. 
  • H.R. 2670, Sec. 594. Posting of promotional materials for the 988 Suicide and  Crisis Lifeline at military installations. 
  • H.R. 2670, Sec. 604. Program to assist service members at risk of suicide. • H.R. 2670, Sec. 655. Establishes a pilot program for routine mental health check ups in schools operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity. • H.R. 2670, Sec. 704, Non-medical counseling services for military families.  • H.R. 2670, Sec. 729. Task force of Department of Defense on mental health.
  • H.R. 2670, Sec. 734. Waiver of certain requirements to facilitate urgent access to  mental health care services by members of the Armed Forces. 
  • H.R. 2670, Section 743. Study on non-clinical mental health services of the DoD. • H.R. 2670, Sec. 753. Report on mental health provider readiness designations. • H.R. 2670, Sec. 754. Study on accessibility of mental health providers and  services for Active Duty members of the Armed Forces. 
  • H.R. 2670, Sec. 755. Study and report on mental health care for pilots and  aviators.  
  • H.R. 2670, Sec. 1080E. Assessment of suicide risk at military installations. • H.R. 2670, Sec. 1866. Annual review and update of online information relating to  suicide prevention. 
  • S. 2226, Sec. 503. Exclusion of officers who are licensed behavioral health  providers from limitations on active duty commissioned officer end strengths.  • S. 2226, Sec. 532. Non-medical counseling services for military families. • S. 2226, Sec. 705. Waiver of cost-sharing for three mental health outpatient visits  for certain beneficiaries under the TRICARE program. 
  • S. 2226, Sec. 707. Sense of Congress on access to mental health services through  TRICARE. 
  • S. 2226, Sec. 723. Comptroller General study on impact of perinatal mental health  conditions of members of the Armed Forces and their dependents on military  readiness and retention.  
  • S. 2226, Sec. 724. Report on mental and behavioral health services provided by  Department of Defense. 
  • S. 2226, Sec. 5721. Report on military mental health care referral policies. • S. 2226, Sec. 5723. Report on provision of mental health services via telehealth to  members of the Armed Forces and their dependents.

With Honor Action Presents Rep. Steve Womack With ‘Principles Before Politics’ Award at Biennial Gala

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Washington, D.C.—With Honor Action honored Rep. Steve Womack with our 4th “Principles Before Politics” award at our third biennial gala at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Va. on Tuesday evening.

With Honor Action believes the key to making Congress more effective is electing and supporting lawmakers who lead with civility, integrity, and courage. Each year, With Honor Action recognizes those leaders who have embodied these ideals with the “Principles Before Politics” Award recognizing leaders who make the hard choices to do what is best for the American people regardless of the political consequences

“Of all of the things that we do and of all of the votes that we will take and all of the decisions we will make, the one where you pick your leader, the person you are most accountable to is that individual that you saw in the mirror that morning,” Womack said in accepting the award.

“We were proud to bring together such a distinguished group of veterans from both inside and outside Congress to talk about how to bridge the partisan divide and put country before politics,” said Rye Barcott, Co-Founder and CEO of With Honor Action. “Our mission is to strengthen democracy by fighting congressional polarization and by celebrating those who have taken a stand when it counted, Rep. Steve Womack is a true patriot who believes in working together to get things done.”

Rep. Steve Womack has consistently stood steadfast in his convictions, putting his service to his district and country above party. A true leader in Congress who has never wavered from fighting against polarization, unafraid of political consequences.

Speakers at the gala included Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr.; Maryland Gov. Wes Moore; For Country Caucus members Rep. Jason Crow, Rep. Mike Gallagher, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, Rep. Jimmy Panetta, Rep. Seth Moulton, and Rep. Jared Golden. President George W. Bush, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Nucor’s Chief Executive Officer Leon Topalian also gave recorded remarks exclusive to the event.

Listen to Rep. Womack’s remark’s after accepting the award here

89% of Americans Support Keeping Our Pledge to Our Afghans Allies

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Washington, D.C. – An astonishing 80% of Americans believe that the United States should help Afghans resettle in the U.S., according to a new poll conducted by With Honor Action and Ipsos. Further, 89% of Americans said they support keeping our pledge to Afghans who helped U.S. forces against the Taliban, with 56% of Americans “strongly” supporting. The support was bipartisan, with 87% of Republicans and 92% of Democrats agreeing.

“The results of the national poll are striking,” said Rye Barcott, CEO and Co-Founder of With Honor Action and U.S. Marine Corps veteran. “Rarely do we see such unified support across party lines.”

With Honor Action has joined with several leading Veterans organizations to encourage Congress to authorize more visa and immigration authorities for refugees from the Taliban. But legislative gridlock has stalled several initiatives aimed at keeping faith with our stranded Afghan allies.

“Americans want us to help our Afghan allies. But we remain plagued by inaction,” said Barcott. “Congress must act now to help clear the immigration backlog for highly vetted Afghan allies, many of whom fought loyally by our sides for years in America’s longest war.”

The poll was conducted the first week of October. Highlights of the survey include:

  • Almost 9 in 10 Americans view Afghans who helped U.S. troops favorably (88%), and half of Americans view them “very favorably.”
  • 80% of Americans agree that the U.S. should help Afghans who assisted U.S. forces in Afghanistan resettle in the United States.
  • 89% of Americans say that they support keeping America’s word to Afghans who helped U.S. forces in Afghanistan, with 56% of Americans “strongly” supporting it. This included 87% of Republicans and 92% of Democrats.
  • 81% of Americans say “yes” when asked if the U.S. should help these Afghans escape Afghanistan and start a new life in America.
  • 87% of Americans agree that the U.S. has a duty to the Afghans we promised to protect, and 84% say these Afghans can be successfully integrated into American society.
  • 84% generally support the idea of allowing Afghans who helped troops during the war to resettle in the U.S. Further, 80% said we should be doing more to help these Afghans, 77% say that these folks would be welcomed if they were resettled in their community.

  • 75% of Americans say “yes” to the question of whether the U.S. should grant these Afghans legal status, 61% say “yes” on granting them citizenship, and 85% agree that these Afghans and their families should go through rigorous background checks and screenings as a part of resettling.

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