Rep. Schrier’s Priorities to Help Veterans and Military Families Pass House in 2022 Defense Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Congresswoman Kim Schrier's, M.D. (WA-08) amendments to assist Veterans and military spouses, and to improve pandemic preparedness passed the House in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022. The NDAA is legislation passed annually to maintain military readiness, enhance capabilities, and prioritize technological security. It is expected to pass the Senate.

Rep. Schrier's first amendment would help identify servicemembers who may need extra support as they separate from the military. "As a doctor, I recognize the importance of identifying risks early. With targeted screenings and appropriate follow through, we can address social isolation and loneliness that can lead to higher rates of homelessness, substance use, and suicide," said Rep. Schrier. "My amendment to the NDAA moves care upstream for Veterans by ensuring screening for social isolation as an independent risk factor and making health screenings more efficient overall."

Rep. Schrier's second amendment builds on her amendment from last year's NDAA to make job opportunities more accessible to military spouses, who often have a difficult time finding long-term work due to frequent relocation and difficulty transferring occupational certifications and licenses.

Rep. Schrier continued, "My amendment will expand opportunities for military spouses by establishing strategies for information sharing and outreach to raise awareness of employment resources that are available to military spouses. This gives military spouses the opportunities they deserve."

Rep Schrier's third amendment requests a report on Defense Production Act Activities to understand how much of the $10 billion allotted to medical supplies by the American Rescue Plan was spent on testing. It also asks how many tests have been procured and disseminated, the price point of those tests, and the plans to spend down the rest of this funding by 2025.

Rep. Schrier's final amendment included in the FY22 NDAA will require military installations to include climate resilience in planning efforts. For the sake of our national security, it is crucial for our military to avoid, prepare for, and adapt to the effects of climate change such as flooding, wildfires, extreme heat, and sea level rise.

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 will:

• Build on previous attempts to close the pay gap by funding a 2.7% pay increase for our service men and women
• Support relocation of Special Immigrant Visa holders and at-risk Afghans
• Authorize nearly $1 billion in additional cybersecurity investments in people, programs, and technologies
• Require the Department of Defense to use enforceable state standards for clean-up of dangerous PFAS "forever" chemicals when they are more strict than federal regulations
• Improve military care by strengthening mental health and postpartum care, as well as integrating data to help serve all military health beneficiaries
• Direct the Department of Defense to create a program to provide direct assistance for scheduling mental health appointments at military medical treatment facilities and clinics
• Require the President to submit a report to Congress not later than 48 hours after any incident in which the United States Armed Forces are involved in hostilities

A video of Rep. Schrier explaining her amendments can be found here.