Legislation Includes Sherrill-Championed Provisions to Lower Costs for Servicemembers, Strengthen Picatinny, Reduce Dependence on Foreign Fuels, and Combat Climate Change
Washington, DC–– Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) released the following statement after House passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2023 (NDAA) package today:
"The National Defense Authorization Act not only strengthens our national security and sets the priorities for our servicemembers, it invests in jobs, families, innovation, and modernization, including Picatinny Arsenal here in NJ-11.
"My top priority in Congress is to make life more affordable for New Jersey families. At a roundtable I held just last week, a local veteran told me about the challenges of finding steady employment, even after utilizing GI Bill benefits.
"Stories like this are unacceptable, and I'm proud that this year's bill takes serious steps to increase affordability and opportunity for our servicemembers and their families. The NDAA includes my provisions to strengthen registered apprenticeships and workforce development so we are training our servicemembers with the skills our local employers need. The bill also includes measures to make childcare more affordable for military families and the largest pay increase for our servicemembers in decades.
"One of the best ways I can make life more affordable for NJ-11 families is by bringing federal tax dollars back to North Jersey – and this year's NDAA does just that. The House bill specifically provides robust investments in Picatinny Arsenal, which not only brings well over $1 billion into the New Jersey economy every year but is on the cutting edge of our military modernization efforts. The investments in Picatinny will not only make our military more effective but will also bring more highly paid and highly skilled jobs into North Jersey.
"With our provisions in the NDAA, the Department of Defense will also prioritize climate change — a critical national security threat — as officials work to mitigate its impact and to take steps to reduce the Department's emissions. The bill delivers large investments to end the use of toxic PFAS chemicals and to mitigate the damage done, including in our NJ-11 communities. And I'm proud to say the bill includes my provision to urge the military services to achieve full adoption of resilient, energy-saving microgrids on installations.
"This year's bill also makes important progress to enhance America's energy independence and reduce our reliance on foreign energy – including a provision that would direct the Defense Department to create a strategy to eliminate any reliance on Russian-produced energy.
"Now, the bill moves to the Senate, where I hope that it can be quickly approved and sent to the President's desk."
Read Rep. Sherrill's priorities in the House FY2023 NDAA here.
Rep. Sherrill is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the Navy for almost 10 years as a helicopter pilot and Russian policy officer. As a Russian policy officer, she worked on the implementation of our nuclear treaty obligations and oversaw the relationship between the U.S. Navy and Russian Federation Navy. She now serves on the House Armed Services Committee, where she serves on the Tactical Air and Land Forces and Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittees.
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Original source can be found here.
