With Honor Action’s Top Priorities Included in National Defense Authorization Act
Washington, DC – With Honor Action is proud to announce 63 of our priorities have been included in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This NDAA will be one of the only major bipartisan bills that Congress is likely to pass this year. Culminating in months and in some cases, years of hard work, these bipartisan provisions championed by the bipartisan veterans in Congress that With Honor Action supports, will have a wide-ranging impact on our nation. These critical pieces of legislation strengthen our national security, improve our civic education and service opportunities for young Americans, and improve quality of life and healthcare for our veteran and military families.
Some of the most noteworthy provisions are summarized below. Please find a list of all 63 laws located on With Honor Action’s website.
National Security:
- Sec. 1536: Authority to conduct pilot program on Civilian Cybersecurity Reserve
- This bill establishes Civilian Cybersecurity Reserve pilot program within the Department of Defense (DoD) to recruit civilian personnel to serve in cybersecurity reservist positions to ensure that we have the talent necessary to defeat, deter, or respond to cyber threats.
- Taiwan Cybersecurity Resiliency Act
- This bill, led by For Country Caucus founding members Rep. Mike Gallagher and Chrissy Houlahan, directs the Secretary of Defense to seek to engage the Taiwanese government regarding expanded cooperation with respect to military cybersecurity activities.
- Critical Mineral Independence Act
- This bill, led by For Country Caucus member Rep. Mike Gallagher, tasks the Department of Defense to assess vulnerabilities in its supply chain, identify and recommend changes to acquisition laws, regulations, and policies, and prioritize recommendations to achieve critical mineral supply chain independence.
Military Quality of Life:
- The Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act (HR 2597 / S. 1095; Section 601 in H.R. 2670)
- This bill, led by For Country Caucus members Reps. Jeff Jackson and Zach Nunn, extends the same active duty parental leave policy to an estimated more than one million National Guard and Reserve service members by expanding eligibility beyond birthing mothers to include fathers, adoptive parents, and foster parents.
- Including military service in determining family and medical leave eligibility for federal employees under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993
- This provision, led by For Country Caucus member Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, expands eligibility provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act for federal employees to military service if the individual has completed at least 12 months of honorable service.
Expansion of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps:
- Expansion of the JROTC Program [Sec. 551]
- This provision, led by Senator Roger Wicker, requires the Department of Defense to establish and support not less than 3,400 and not more than 4,000 units of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, an expansion from the existing 3,275 units.
- Stop Funding JROTC at CCP-Owned Schools Act [Sec. 553]
- Prohibition of Establishment or Maintenance of a Unit of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at an Education Institution Owned, Operated, or Controlled by the Chinese Communist Party.
“The NDAA is the only piece of legislation to consistently pass year after year on a bipartisan basis. This will be the 63rd consecutive year it successfully passes on time,” said Rye Barcott, Co-Founder and CEO of With Honor Action. “We’re proud to be part of this bipartisan effort and our work to further help the military community. These pieces of legislation will go a long way in making sure the US stays ahead of our competitors while helping our service members here at home.”
The bills listed above are just seven of With Honor Action’s 63 accomplishments from this year’s NDAA process. To learn more about With Honor Action priorities included in the annual defense bill, read the list here.
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With Honor Action fights polarization in Congress by supporting principled veterans across party lines who pledge to service 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 II.