WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released the following statement after voting in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, highlighting provisions that benefit Nevada, including several of her amendments and other provisions that she championed that were included in the final bill. By a vote of 86 to 14, the Senate today passed the bipartisan legislation, which sets the nation’s defense policy and includes a three-percent pay increase for our troops.
“The annual National Defense Authorization Act plays a pivotal role in helping modernize our military, supporting our servicemembers, and strengthening our national security priorities,” dijo el Senador Rosen. “I was proud to vote for this bipartisan legislation, which provides a well-earned pay increase for our troops and includes a number of provisions that I have spearheaded, fought for, and supported. The NDAA includes zero funding for defense nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain – something that I have fought against since I arrived in Congress – and it supports the continuation of a cybersecurity JROTC program for which I’ve advocated. It also authorizes funding for two projects in Nevada that will help support Nevada’s military installations, which play a pivotal role in maintaining our national security.”
“I also was proud to see two of my amendments included in the final package of the NDAA,” Senator Rosen continued. “My first bipartisan amendment brings Nevada’s hard-working parents much-needed relief by increasing the availability of high-quality child care for their families. That amendment also creates jobs and supports child care small businesses by expanding access to SBA support. I also was able to successfully include in the bill an amendment that authorizes assistance for cybersecurity workforce development, including direct, no-cost support for Nevada’s teachers and students to help them prepare for our 21st century economy.”
BACKGROUND: Senator Rosen’s requests included in the final NDAA package include:
No Yucca Mountain funding. Thanks to the Senator’s efforts, this year’s NDAA does not include funding for defense nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain. Rosen-requested Central Standby Generator at Creech Air Force Base. Currently, Creech AFB only has one source of power from NV Energy. Rosen-backed language encouraging the Air Force to continue their public-private partnerships to provide cybersecurity education to JROTC cadets, such as the current demonstration program benefitting Shadow Ridge High School in Las Vegas.
Senator Rosen’s amendments included in the final package passed on the Senate floor today include:
Support for Child Care Small Businesses: An amendment to allow nonprofit child care providers to participate in all SBA loan programs. This bipartisan amendment, filed alongside Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), is based on the bipartisan Small Business Child Care Investment Act (S.2549), legislation that Senators Rosen and Ernst introduced in September. Cybersecurity Workforce Development: An amendment to formally authorize and provide stability for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Cybersecurity Education Training Assistance Program (CETAP), an ongoing initiative that provides cybersecurity workforce development assistance, including direct, no-cost supporting to teachers and students to help prepare an engaged, cyber-literate workforce. This amendment is based on the bipartisan PROTECT Act (S.4195), legislation that Senator Rosen and Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced this month.
Senator Rosen also co-led and co-sponsored several amendments adopted and included in the final NDAA package, including:
An amendment from Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Senator Rosen that included the text of the Rosen co-led HACKED Act (S.2775) and CYBER LEAP Act (S.3712), bipartisan bills to improve the cyber workforce and establish cyber challenges, respectively.
A Rosen-backed bipartisan amendment from Senator Dianne Feinstein requiring the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on military aviators and aviation support personnel to determine the incidence of cancer diagnosis and mortality among such aviators and personnel.
A Rosen-backed bipartisan amendment from Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (D-MS) to designate the week of September 20 through September 26, 2020, as “Gold Star Families Remembrance Week”.
A Rosen-backed bipartisan amendment from Senator Angus King (I-ME) that establishes a biennial national cyber tabletop exercise.
A Rosen-backed amendment from Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) to create committees to promote better interagency management and collaboration between the military and local governments, tribes, and other stakeholders with regard to lands proposals related to Naval Air Station Fallon and the Nevada Test and Training Range.
Authorizes $731.3 billion in national defense spending, supporting an overall $740.5 billion defense budget.
- Provides troops with a three-percent pay-raise.
Does NOT fund the storage of defense nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain.
Provides a new Central Standby Generator for Creech Air Force Base.
Authorizes $29 million for military construction projects for Naval Air Station Fallon.
Authorizes $16 million for new military construction projects for the Nevada National Security Site.
Extends the land withdrawals for the Fallon Range Training Complex (FRTC) and the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) for twenty years, while maintaining the status quo for the FRTC, the NTTR, and the Desert National Wildlife Refuge.
Authorizes funding for cooperative missile defense programs with our ally Israel.
