Rep. Crow Applauds House Passage of Bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act

Representative Jason Crow (CO-06) voted today to pass the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021 in the House of Representatives. The bill passed with a veto-proof majority (295-125). As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, where the bill passed unanimously, Crow helped to ensure the bill contained provisions that support sustainable energy development and climate security as well as transparency and oversight of the Department of Defense before it was considered by the full House.

"Whether at Buckley Air Force Base or in Afghanistan, I have seen our men and women in uniform put service above self. This year's NDAA is a testament to that and ensures we continue to advocate for our service members while taking into account the threats of tomorrow including climate security, biodefense, and election security," said Crow. "I'm proud to see this year's NDAA pass with such strong bipartisan support at such a critical time in our nation's history."

Crow Priorities Adopted on the Floor

• Responsibility and Accountability in Strategic Pandemic/Biodefense Planning (RASPP) Act - This amendment requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to work with the interagency Biodefense Steering Committee to ensure that the roles and responsibilities of all federal agencies and departments are clearly delegated so that the government is better prepared for future pandemics.
• Update to the Department of Defense Climate Change Roadmap - Representative Crow joined Representatives Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Joe Neguse (D-CO), and Jim Langevin (D-RI) to direct the updated DOD Climate Change Roadmap to include assessments as to how climate change may exacerbate or create new conflicts around the world.
• Defense Production Act - Representative Crow was please to have the bill he co-led with Representatives Juan Vargas (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Tim Ryan (D-OH), and Lori Trahan (D-MA) included in NDAA to direct the President to fully utilize the Defense Production Act to produce urgently needed personal protective equipment and other medical supplies needed to fight COVID-19.

Other Priorities Adopted in the House-Passed Bill

• Insurrection Act reform - In light of the deployment of active duty military personnel in response to peaceful protests, the bill reforms the 200 year-old Insurrection Act to include greater oversight and transparency.
• Requirement to display Federal law enforcement name/agency - The amendment ensures that Federal law enforcement personnel, like those deployed to respond to peaceful protests around the country, are required to clearly display their name and governing agency.
• Student loan forbearance extension - Extends student loan forbearance in the CARES Act.
• CORE Act and Protecting America's Wilderness Act - Includes the text of both bills, which designate specified lands in Colorado managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or the Forest Service as wilderness and as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, and establishes new wilderness areas and safeguarding existing outdoor recreation opportunities to boost the economy for future generations

Crow's amendments, bills, and provisions secured in the passage of the NDAA would help advance Colorado priorities, including:

Protecting Our Climate Security

• DOD WATER Act - Following conflicting reports from the Department of Defense on the impact of water scarcity on military bases due to warming temperatures, Crow, joined by Lamborn (R-CO) and Torres Small (D-NM), introduced a bill that would require the Secretary of Defense to improve data collection and create a recurring water scarcity assessment at at-risk military installations, such as bases like Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora.
• Wind energy clearinghouse: With Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), this amendment strengthens the DOD clearinghouse process for evaluating the impact of wind energy projects on military installations.
• Resilience funding and report: An increase in funding of $2 million for the Military Energy Resilience Catalyst Program and requests a brief within 90 days on initiatives that integrate existing utility and energy authorities to support installation resilience projects to upgrade infrastructure, deploy emerging technologies, and strengthen mission assurance.

Ensuring Oversight & Transparency

• Afghanistan Partnership and Transparency Act - Crow's amendment, offered with Liz Cheney (R-WY), required the Administration to engage with Congress on any effort to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. The amendment requires a comprehensive interagency report detailing that the withdrawal will not, among other things, impede our counterterrorism mission or endanger our national security. It also requires the Administration to inform Congress of any efforts by other countries to impose bounties on U.S. service members, akin to those reportedly offered by Russia. The amendment passed by a bipartisan 45-11 margin. The bill comes as reports circulate that the Trump administration has begun working with the Pentagon on possible options for withdrawal ahead of the timeline laid out in the February 29th peace agreement.
• Topline troop numbers: This provision, co-led with Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), demands transparency by restricting 25% of travel funds for the Office of the Secretary of Defense until DOD complies with established law requiring them to make troop deployment numbers available to the general public and Congress. You can read about the provision in an op-ed by Crow and Porter here.

Standing Up for Our Colorado Military Communities & Service Members

• Protecting American Space Assets Act - Crow led the amendment to adopt the bill he introduced alongside Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Cheney (R-WY), Turner (R-OH), Mike Rogers (R-AL), and Cheri Bustos (D-IL) that directs the President to develop and maintain a comprehensive national space strategy, secure government and commercial space assets, and ensure that the U.S. remains at the forefront of space operations.
• Defense Community Investment Act - This bill, led by Crow (D-CO) and Lamborn (R-CO), will codify the Office of Economic Adjustment to protect it from DOD budget cuts. This office helps bridge the gap between defense communities, such as Aurora, and the military and support efforts around sustainability, readiness, and resiliency.
• DCIP clarification: Clarifies that projects eligible for assistance enhance installation resilience and enhance military family quality of life. It also allows flexibility to reduce or waive cost-sharing entirely, in order to ensure projects can proceed if they are in the national interest regardless of a community's ability to provide matching funds.
• Access to voting materials for Servicemembers - Crow co-led an amendment with Rep. Turner (R-OH) that directs the Secretary of Defense to ensure that active duty servicemen and women serving at diplomatic missions receive express mail labels for their absentee ballots, as those serving on military installations already do.
• Report on Accelerating Payments to Small Businesses - Co-led with Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), the amendment requires the Department of Defense to report on the timeliness of accelerated payments made to small businesses. This amendment comes at a particularly important time as many small businesses grapple with the financial impact of COVID-19.

Other Priority Toplines

• $741 billion for FY 2021 to fund the military and related agencies, including a 3% service-wide pay-raise for troops.
• Directs DOD to remove confederate names from bases within one year and bans the confederate battle flag from all DOD sites.
• Limits the President's proposed troop withdrawal from Germany
• Bars logistical support for the Saudi-led coalition against Houthis in Yemen.
• Strong PFAS provisions, including a requirement that DOD treat PFOS and PFOA as hazardous substances under CERCLA when cleaning up contamination at defense facilities and a requirement that service members be tested for exposure periodically.
• $25 million increase for the Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative.
• $50 million for the Defense Community Infrastructure Program.
• Establishes a 4-year pilot program at the Military Service Academies to address prevailing sexual assaults and other special victims' offenses

Crow is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, where he serves on the Subcommittee on Readiness and as a Member of the Subcommittee on Readiness and Emerging Threats and Capabilities. Prior to serving in Congress, Crow served in three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division and 75th Rangers Regiment.