Texas Border Business
WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after the Senate and House Armed Services Committees announced their final version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020:
“One of Congress’ main duties is to provide for the national defense, and I’m glad to see that the final version of this year’s authorization bill includes provisions that will benefit Texas service members, their families, and veterans,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I’m grateful to my colleagues who worked hard to give our military the certainty to plan for future threats, and I’m looking forward to voting for this legislation in the Senate soon.”
Background:
The National Defense Authorization Act for FY2020 would:
- Raise troops’ pay by 3.1 percent, the largest pay raise for our military in a decade.
- Authorize $400 million for military construction projects in Texas, including:
- A new powertrain facility at Corpus Christi Army Depot;
- A new central energy plant, vehicle bridge, and barracks at Fort Hood;
- A new microgrid at Camp Swift;
- New barracks, an aquatics tank, Air Force Personnel Center B wing, and modernized training facilities at Joint Base San Antonio; and
- The authority for a new dining facility and air traffic control tower at Joint Base San Antonio.
- Authorize 90 new F-35 Joint Strike Fighters built by Texans in Fort Worth.
- Support full funding for the B-21 long-range strike aircraft program development, many of which will be stationed at Dyess Air Force Base in the future.
- Facilitate absentee voting for military personnel overseas by ensuring service members are provided ballots, registration cards, and instruction on how to vote in their registered state.
- Protect Texas critical infrastructure and mass transit from foreign threats.
- Establish a Tenant Bill of Rights for servicemembers and families living on base and develop a dispute resolution process.
- Prioritize access to high-quality public education for military children through increased DOD supplemental impact aid, especially for disabled military children.
- Support working military dogs at Lackland Air Force Base by authorizing veterinary check-ups for all retiring working dogs.
 released the following statement after the Senate and House Armed Services Committees announced their final version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2020){kind=link}