The Honorable Jack Reed The Honorable Roger Wicker
728 Hart Senate Office Building 425 Russell Senate Office Building
U.S. Senate U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Mike Rogers The Honorable Adam Smith
2469 Rayburn House Office Building 2264 Rayburn House Office Building
U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515
To the Chairs and Ranking Members:
For more than 60 years, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has been a model of bicameral, bipartisan lawmaking. As our country faces extraordinarily complex national security challenges, from Ukraine to Taiwan and in the realms of cyberspace and artificial intelligence, the world once again looks to us for leadership. This defense bill is essential to our success in meeting those challenges, defending the homeland, and supporting our warfighters and their families.
Central to that mission, With Honor Action is advocating for the inclusion of these four priorities in the final version of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act.
- S. 903 – Department of Defense Civilian Cybersecurity Reserve Act
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- Incorporated as Senate NDAA, Sec. 1216 – Civilian Cybersecurity Reserve pilot project
- H.R. 2597/S. 1095 – Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act
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- Incorporated as House NDAA, Sec. 601 – Parental leave parity for members of certain reserve components of the Armed Forces
- House NDAA, Section 1118 – Including military service in determining family and medical leave eligibility for federal employees under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993
- S. 2678 – Outbound Investment Transparency Act of 2023
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- Incorporated as Senate NDAA, Sec. 1085 – Protection of covered sectors
As you work to finalize this bill, we appreciate your consideration of the above provisions and respectfully request they be retained in the final draft. We are grateful for your leadership, the dedication of the Members to our national security, and the diligence of your staff members.
Appendix: Further Information
- S. 903 – Department of Defense Civilian Cybersecurity Reserve Act
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- Incorporated as Senate NDAA, Sec. 1216 – Civilian Cybersecurity Reserve pilot project
Modeled upon the recommendations of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission and the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service, this provision would create a pilot program to recruit qualified cybersecurity professionals to supplement the federal workforce. Led by For Country Caucus Founding Co-Chair Rep. Jimmy Panetta in the previous Congress, the provision tasks the Department of the Army to establish a pilot program where they may appoint up to 50 reservists drawn from private industry with demonstrated cybersecurity expertise.
- H.R. 2597/S. 1095 – Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act
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- Incorporated as House NDAA, Sec. 601 – Parental leave parity for members of certain reserve components of the Armed Forces
Led by For Country Caucus members Reps. Zach Nunn and Jeff Jackson, the Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act would align National Guard and Reserve parental leave eligibility with active duty standards. Under current policy, only birthing mothers are eligible for parental leave– this provision would expand leave eligibility to include fathers and adoptive parents.
- House NDAA, Section 1118 – Including military service in determining family and medical leave eligibility for federal employees under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993
Led by For Country Caucus member Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, and in partnership with the Bipartisan Policy Center, this provision would allow military service time to count towards the 12-month eligibility requirement for federal employees to receive benefits under FMLA.
- S. 2678 – Outbound Investment Transparency Act of 2023
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- Incorporated as Senate NDAA, Sec. 1085 – Protection of covered sectors
This would require U.S. firms to notify the Treasury Department of certain investments in countries of concern while protecting confidential business information. Covered investments include joint ventures, know-how and greenfield investments in certain sectors including advanced semiconductors and microelectronics, artificial intelligence, quantum technology, satellite-based communications, dual-use network laser scanning systems and hypersonics.