WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) through the House Armed Services Committee. Twelve amendments authored by Rep. Houlahan were offered and voted on by the Committee to be included in the bill.

“I was proud to advocate for my community and my country today with my 12 amendments to this year’s National Defense Authorization Act” said Houlahan. “We successfully fought for provisions that, among other things, begin to address the education gap preventing many willing young Americans from being able to join the military, increase accountability for those who witness sexual assault/harassment but fail to do anything, expand access to quality and affordable child care options, prevent foreign adversaries like China from controlling the world’s supply of critical rare earth materials, and guarantee our fighters have the innovative technology they need to protect our country. As a veteran, it’s a privilege and honor to do this work of supporting our men and women in uniform and protecting our national security interests.”

Rep. Houlahan’s amendments will:

1. Direct the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide specific, community-level data about the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) so we can better understand the education gap preventing some young Americans from enlisting

2. Instruct the DoD to examine creating a “duty to intervene” in cases of sexual misconduct to change the culture around bystander intervention

3. Require the DoD to study the feasibility of creating a pilot program that would help defray the cost of accreditation for private child care facilities in “child care deserts,” where there are not enough licensed childcare options for our military families

4. Authorize a study on the role of women in countering violent extremism and terrorism so that we can better adapt our policies to address this issue

5. Respond to the evolution of digital technology by pushing the Department to change the way it recruits and retains tech talent in the military and civilian workforce

6. Accelerate efforts to develop or procure a safe, cost-effective, and long-term alternative to open burn pits for waste disposal in contingency environments

7. Direct the DoD to assess vulnerabilities in our most sensitive data relating to biosecurity and pathogens and recommend to Congress actions to remediate them

8. Require the Department to develop guidance on the streamlined acquisition of items with rare earth materials and to prevent our adversaries, like China, from controlling the world’s supply of these key materials

9. Hold back 25% of the funding for the VH-92A helicopter until the Department provides answers about the costs and national security risks associated with Sikorsky’s plan to close its Coatesville, PA manufacturing plant

10. Help stop the diversion of military personnel from their units to perform non-military essential functions when adequate supporting infrastructure – especially government civilians – is unavailable

11. Authorize the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) to expedite contracting with small businesses developing innovative technologies so our warfighters get the capabilities they need faster

12. Consolidate the direct hire authorities of the DoD and require an independent study to recommend improvements to the Federal hiring system

Full text of the NDAA and Rep. Houlahan’s Amendments will be made available in the coming days here.

Houlahan is an Air Force veteran, an engineer, a serial entrepreneur, an educator, and a nonprofit leader. She’s in her first term representing Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses Chester County and southern Berks County. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the House Small Business Committee.

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