WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released the following statement announcing that the annual bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA) has passed the United States Senate. The legislation now heads to the President’s desk. This year’s NDAA includes five of Senator Rosen’s bipartisan bills to support U.S. cybersecurity, as well as numerous victories for Nevada and a pay raise for our troops.
“I am proud to see that this year’s NDAA has passed the United States Senate and that it is on its way to becoming law,” said Senator Rosen. “The final NDAA takes important steps to support our servicemembers and our national security, including a well-deserved pay-raise for our men and women in uniform. Amidst rising cybersecurity threats, the NDAA includes five of my bipartisan bills that strengthen U.S. cybersecurity and improve our nation’s STEM workforce. The NDAA also includes several of my requested provisions to benefit Nevada, including a much-needed generator at Creech Air Force Base and no funding for defense nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain, along with support for construction projects at both Naval Air Station Fallon and the Nevada National Security Site. I will always support the safety and security of Nevada and our nation.”
BACKGROUND: Senator Rosen’s bipartisan bills in the FY21 NDAA include:
- PROMOTES Act (S.3900): Introduced by Senators Rosen, Rounds (R-SD), Blackburn (R-TN), and Peters (D-MI), this bill authorizes the Secretary of Defense to establish a grant program for STEM in JROTC units.
- PROTECT Act (S.4195): Introduced by Senators Rosen and Cassidy (R-LA), this legislation formally authorizes and provides stability for CISA’s Cybersecurity Education Training Assistance Program (CETAP).
- Small Manufacturer Cybersecurity Enhancement Act (S.4598): Introduced by Senators Rosen and Young (R-IN), S.4598 authorizes the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Director of NIST, to provide funds to Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers for the provision of cybersecurity services to small manufacturers.
- The HACKED Act (S.2775) and the CYBER LEAP Act (S.3712): Introduced by Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and co-led by Senator Rosen, these two bills improve the cyber workforce and establish cyber grand challenges, respectively.
Senator Rosen’s submitted requests included in the final FY21NDAA include:
- NO Yucca Mountain funding.
- Providing new Central Standby Generator for Creech Air Force Base.
- Authorizing funding for cooperative missile defense programs with Israel.
Other key provisions to benefit Nevada and our nation include:
- Providing our troops with a three-percent pay-raise.
- Authorizing $732 billion in discretionary spending for national defense.
- NO funding to renew explosive nuclear weapons testing activities.
- Authorizing $29 million for military construction projects for Naval Air Station Fallon.
- Authorizing $16 million for new military construction projects for the Nevada National Security Site.
- Increasing MQ-9 procurement to prevent termination without a request. The MQ-9 is stationed at Creech Air Force Base.
- Maintaining the status quo land withdrawals for the Fallon Range Training Complex (FRTC) and the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) for twenty-five years, and creating Intergovernmental Executive Committees (IEC) at both FRTC and NTTR to allow local, state and Tribal governments to collaborate with the military in providing advice and exchanging information on the management of natural and cultural resources.
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