ROSEN-SPONSORED DEFENSE MEASURES SIGNED INTO LAW AT THE WHITE HOUSE

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Congresswoman Jacky Rosen (NV-03) released the following statement after the President signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2018, which contained two bipartisan bills along with several amendments introduced by the Congresswoman:

“I’m proud that this defense spending bill includes bipartisan provisions that I introduced to help keep Nevadans safe by modernizing our military, supporting our servicemembers, and strengthening our national security,” said Rosen. “This defense package will give our troops a well-deserved pay raise, something that I fought for earlier this year, and will make smart, strategic investments in education, cybersecurity and advanced technologies, and prepare our country for future threats. I am also proud to see that my bipartisan bills to secure our electric grid and bolster Israel’s anti-missile defense systems were signed into law. I will continue to work with my colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee on policies that support our servicemembers and ensure military readiness.”

BACKGROUND: The NDAA, which passed the House by a vote of 356-70, included legislation introduced and co-sponsored by Congresswoman Rosen:

Rep. Rosen’s sponsored requests included in FY18 NDAA
 

• The Securing the Electric Grid to Protect Military Readiness Act:  A bipartisan bill introduced by Congresswoman Rosen requiring the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Energy and the Director of National Intelligence, to report to Congress on significant risks to the national electric grid, the effect those risks pose to military readiness, and measures to mitigate those risks.
   

• The Defend Israel Act:  A bipartisan bill introduced by Congresswoman Rosen to authorize $705.8 million in funding for the state of Israel’s anti-missile defense systems.
   

• Public-private partnerships for C-130H avionics modernization program, Increment 2: A provision requested by the Nevada National Guard that will help bring down costs and allow the Air Force to purchase commercially available FAA-certified systems which meet or exceed USAF operational requirements. This public-private partnership will foster open and fair competition without restrictive military specification standards.
   

• Report on splitting of roles of NSA Director and Commander of U.S. Cyber Command: The current dual-hat arrangement allows the Commander of U.S. Cyber Command to also serve as the Director of the National Security Agency. Last year’s NDAA placed conditions on the splitting of this role in two to ensure that it does not negatively impact NSA, should DoD decide that the split should take place. Congresswoman Rosen’s adopted amendment requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to the congressional defense committees and the congressional intelligence committees, assessing the Department of Defense's progress in determining such a split. Additionally, the report must include metrics and milestones for meeting the conditions and identification of any challenges to meeting those conditions.
   

• Department of Defense Cyber Scholarship Program: Reinvigorates DoD’s Cyber Scholarship Program by $10 million which will benefit DoD’s cyber workforce.  U.S. Cyber Command and other DoD entities have testified before Congress of their inability to obtain the necessary workforce due to lack of competitiveness against industry and interest in DoD. Students receiving these funds owe DoD time post-graduation. Early age exposure to DoD and education of DoD needs helps ensure our nation’s cyber readiness.  
   

• DoD Impact Aid for Schools: Increases funding to $50 million in DoD Impact Aid for schools with large numbers of military connected students.
   

Rep. Rosen’s co-sponsored requests included in FY18 NDAA

• Protecting the Rights of Individuals Against Technological Exploitation (PRIVATE) Act: Closes the loophole in the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Currently, the code prohibits the taking of nude photos without a person’s consent, but does not include language that addresses distributing nude photos without consent. This provision enhances the tools available to prosecute perpetrators of non-consensual sharing of intimate images by adding a new provision to the Uniform Code of Military Justice specifically prohibiting these crimes.
   

• Reserve health benefits parity: Allows reserve component servicemembers who are called to active duty to receive pre-deployment and transitional TRICARE health care benefits. Currently, when involuntarily mobilized to active duty, members of the National Guard and Reserves are not granted benefits equal to the active duty military members with whom they serve.                          
   

• Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance: Permanently extends survivor benefits for spouses of deceased servicemembers, and increased based on inflation. The increase would use the same mechanism as military retired pay.
   

• Spousal employment reimbursements: Authorizes the services to reimburse a servicemember up to $500 for a spouse’s expenses related to obtaining licensing or certification in another state because of a military move.
   

• Anticorruption Strategy: Requires that DoD, the State Department, and USAID jointly develop an anti-corruption strategy for reconstruction efforts associated with U.S. military contingency operations abroad.
   

• Recognizing Climate Change as a Threat to National Security: Recognizes that climate change is a direct threat to U.S. national security interests and requires a report from DoD on the vulnerabilities to military installations and combatant commander requirements resulting from climate change. Includes a provision that expresses the sense of Congress that climate change is a direct threat to national security.
   

• Countering Russian Aggression (co-sponsored bill included in NDAA): Includes a comprehensive package of measures strengthening deterrence and unity against Russian aggression, so that the United States is adequately prepared to respond to Russia’s campaign to undermine democratic values and U.S. alliances and partnerships worldwide. This includes strategies to understand Russia’s strategic objectives, the threat it poses, and a plan to counter Russian malign influence. It further strengthens U.S. cyber posture and efforts to counter information operations of adversaries, like Russia, and conduct effective U.S. and allied information operations. As part of these efforts, the NDAA fully funds the European Deterrence Initiative to reassure NATO allies and enhance the U.S. deterrent and defense postures in Europe.
   

• Anti-tunneling cooperation with Israel: Extends an existing US-Israel anti-tunnel cooperation by two years until December 31, 2020. This cooperation establishes anti-tunnel capabilities to detect, map, and neutralize underground tunnels that threaten the United States or Israel.

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