Rep. Calvert Supports Passage of the National Defense Authorization Act

Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42) voted along with a bipartisan majority (377 to 48) of the House of Representatives to approve the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Rep. Calvert serves as the top Republican on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.

The NDAA conference report included a bipartisan amendment offered by Rep. Calvert and Rep. Mark Takano (CA-41) during the House consideration of the bill earlier this year regarding the Department of Defense's (DOD) efforts to consolidate Defense Media Activity (DMA). The DMA, which is located at March Air Reserve Base, is the DOD's direct line of communication for news and information to U.S. forces around the world. The amendment requires DOD to report to Congress on its current and future plans to consolidate DMA and prohibits any funding for such consolidation until 180 days after DOD submits said report.

"I'm grateful that the Defense Media Activity (DMA) provision I requested along with Rep. Takano was included in the final version of the NDAA and will be signed into law. We owe it to those working here in Riverside County at the DMA and our taxpayers to see that any decision about its future is based on a thorough and strategic analysis. I continue to believe there are significant benefits to locating the DMA at March Air Reserve Base."

"The NDAA supports our service members and their families by authorizing the resources they need on the battlefield and at home. As we face evolving threats near and far it's essential that we give our services the ability to train and equip its forces in a manner that maintains the readiness necessary to keep America safe. It's critical that Congress now provide the long overdue funding for these authorized defense priorities."

Highlights of the 2020 NDAA:

• The 2020 NDAA strengthens America's national security and supports our men and women in uniform.
• Supports the Trump Administration's work to increase our lethality and restore the readiness of our forces. It advances the National Defense Strategy and provides the resources necessary to counter Russia and China.
• Provides a 3.1 percent pay raise for our troops, the largest increase in a decade, and includes a needed overhaul of privatized military housing.
• Recognizes the Space Force as an official sixth Armed Service of the U.S. military. Our adversaries have turned space into a warfighting domain, and establishing the Space Force will ensure our dominance now and in the future.
• Eliminates the "Widow's Tax," a penalty for widows, known as the Survivor Benefit Plan- Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (SBP-DIC) offset.