21 of Slotkin’s 22 amendments were adopted on a bipartisan vote. Congresswoman’s amendments address the Pentagon’s use of PFAS, protecting national security supply chains, and ensuring the U.S. military maintains strategic edge over China
WASHINGTON — Wednesday night, the House Armed Services Committee approved all of the 22 amendments U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin submitted to the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the bill which will fund the Department of Defense (DoD), including the U.S. military, for the coming fiscal year. Slotkin joined 14 Democrats and 28 Republicans to increase the Pentagon's top line budget by $23.9 billion, higher than President Joe Biden's proposal, to ensure the U.S. maintains its strategic edge over rivals like China.
21 of Sloktin's 22 amendments were passed with bipartisan support. Her amendments to the bill include:
- PFAS strictest standard: Requiring DoD, when conducting PFAS remediation and removal, to adhere to the most stringent standard in that location, among a federal lifetime health advisory, an appropriately promulgated state standard, or a federal standard.
- PFAS testing disclosure: Requiring the DoD to publish results of drinking and ground water PFAS testing conducted on or near military installations or former defense sites such that they are publicly available.
- PFAS exposure assessment: Requiring DoD to offer PFAS exposure evaluation and testing for service members who want it as part of their annual exam.
- Congressional defense earmarks: Directing the Secretary of Defense to report on Congressional increases to the defense budget to help ensure efficient funding of the Pentagon and prevent waste.
- Critical supply chain risk assessment: Requiring DoD to develop a supply chain risk assessment framework, including transparency tools, to protect national security supply chains.
"The budget for our national defense should always be a bipartisan effort, and the subject of vigorous debate. As a former Pentagon official and an Army wife and step-mom, I have seen how funding and policy decisions in Congress can directly impact those serving in uniform," Slotkin said. "The amendments I submitted touched on a range of issues, including strengthening our critical defense supply chains and manufacturing more equipment here at home; testing for, cleaning up and restricting the use of dangerous PFAS ‘forever chemicals' which the military has used in the past; and increasing transparency in the Department of Defense budget. In the coming month, I'll continue to work with my Senate colleagues to ensure these amendments are included in the final Pentagon budget for next year."
Senators will conduct their own markup of the same package when they reconvene later this month.
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