WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, With Honor Action sent a letter to the Chairs and Ranking Member of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, calling for the inclusion of four key legislative priorities in the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
“For over 60 years, the National Defense Authorization Act has been the cornerstone of our national security,” said Rye Barcott, CEO and Co-Founder of With Honor Action. “We hope to see our common sense bipartisan solutions, which focus on military quality of life, cybersecurity and emerging technology, included in the final passage of the bill. Our national security is too important for partisanship.”
With Honor Action is advocating for the inclusion of the following four bipartisan priorities in the final version of this year’s NDAA, some of which are being led by members of the For Country Caucus.
- S. 903 – Department of Defense Civilian Cybersecurity Reserve Act
- To create a pilot program to recruit qualified cybersecurity professionals to supplement the federal workforce.
- To create a pilot program to recruit qualified cybersecurity professionals to supplement the federal workforce.
- H.R. 2597/S. 1095 – Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act
- To 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
- To 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
- To require U.S. firms to notify the Treasury Department of certain investments in countries of concern while protecting confidential business information.
The NDAA is a critical piece of legislation that has historically passed by large, bipartisan margins and sets annual priorities for defending the homeland and arming our warfighters. It addresses challenges at home and abroad, including combatting Russian aggression in Ukraine, deterring Chinese encroachment on Taiwanese sovereignty, and developing new capabilities in the realms of cyberspace and artificial intelligence.
***Read the full letter here, detailing With Honor Action’s four major priorities.