{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewell-named-conferee-national-defense-authorization-act-conference", "Rep. Sewell Named Conferee to National Defense Authorization Act Conference", "2019-09-18", "2019", "2019-09", "Democrat", "House", "AL", "Terri Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi named U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) to serve on a conference committee of the House and Senate versions of the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) late Tuesday. NDAA conferees from the House and Senate will work together to resolve differences between the distinct defense authorization bills passed by each chamber in June.\nThe NDAA authorizes funding to equip, supply and train U.S. troops and support military families. The bill has proudly been passed by Congress for 58 continuous years. Sewell, a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and Chair of the Subcommittee on Defense Intelligence and Warfighter Support, is committed to continuing this bipartisan tradition of passing a smart defense bill that provides servicemembers with the resources they need to address and counter today's increasingly complex national security challenges. She is also hopeful conferees will include in the bill an elimination of the Military Widow's Tax, which unfairly taxes military widows and widowers' survivor benefits.\nThe House and Senate have historically put political divisions aside to pass the NDAA, which authorizes our national defense priorities for the year and provides our troops with the resources needed to carry out their missions at home and abroad, Sewell said. I am committed to continuing this tradition and working to exclude any partisan provisions that threaten the defense and wellbeing of our nation. As representative of a state that plays such a major part in our national security, I am honored to be able to play such a significant role as a conferee this year.\nIncluded in the House-passed defense authorization bill is also a provision to eliminate the Military Widow's Tax, which prevents as many as 65,000 surviving military spouses nationwide from receiving their full Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs (VA) survivor benefits. Senator Jones has been a tireless advocate for the tax's elimination in the Senate, and I am hopeful we can finally get it across the finish line to ensure our servicemembers' families receive the benefits they have paid for and earned, Sewell continued. I also look forward to advocating for other priorities for the 7th District and the state of Alabama, including fully funding the F-35 program, ensuring we have all the resources needed to prevent and respond to cyberattacks and improving diversity in military and intelligence recruitment and retention.\nUnder current law, the surviving spouse of a retired member who dies of a service-connected cause, or a service member killed on active duty, is entitled to compensation from the VA. If the military retiree was also enrolled in the Department of Defense's Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), the surviving spouse's SBP benefits are reduced by the amount of their VA compensation. This leaves many widows and widowers with as little as $2,200 of the $3,525 per month they had expected to receive to support their families after their loved one's passing. The Military Widow Tax Elimination Act, which is included in the House-passed version of NDAA, would repeal this required offset and authorize payment of both SBP and VA benefits in the case of a service-connected death.\nThe Military Widow's Tax Elimination Act currently has 372 in the House of Representatives and 75 cosponsors in the Senate, making it clear that Congress understands the importance of eliminating this burden.\n\nThe House Democratic Conferees to the conference committee are:\nHouse Committee on Armed Services\n Congressman Adam Smith of Washington, Chair\n\tCongresswoman Susan Davis of California\n\tCongressman Jim Langevin of Rhode Island\n\tCongressman Rick Larsen of Washington\n\tCongressman Jim Cooper of Tennessee\n\tCongressman Joe Courtney of Connecticut\n\tCongressman John Garamendi of California\n\tCongresswoman Jackie Speier of California\n\tCongressman Donald Norcross of New Jersey\n\tCongressman Ruben Gallego of Arizona\n\tCongressman Seth Moulton of Massachusetts\n\tCongressman Salud Carbajal of California\n\tCongressman Anthony Brown of Maryland\n\tCongressman Ro Khanna of California\n\tCongressman Bill Keating of Massachusetts\n\tCongressman Filemon Vela of Texas\n\tCongressman Andy Kim of New Jersey\n\tCongresswoman Kendra Horn of Oklahoma\n\tCongressman Gil Cisneros of California\n House Committee on Budget \n Congressman John Yarmuth of Kentucky, Chair\n\tCongressman Scott Peters of California\n House Committee on Education and Labor\n Congressman Bobby Scott of Virginia, Chair\n\tCongresswoman Lori Trahan of Massachusetts\n House Committee on Energy and Commerce\n Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. of New Jersey, Chair\n\tCongressman Paul Tonko of New York\n House Committee on Financial Services\n Congresswoman Maxine Waters of California, Chair\n\tCongressman Brad Sherman of California\n House Committee on Foreign Affairs\n Congressman Eliot Engel of New York, Chair\n\tCongressman Gregory Meeks of New York\n House Committee on Homeland Security\n Congressman Max Rose of New York\n\tCongresswoman Lauren Underwood of Illinois\n House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence\n Congressman Adam Schiff of California, Chair\n\tCongresswoman Terri Sewell of Alabama\n House Committee on Judiciary\n Congressman Jerry Nadler of New York, Chair\n\tCongresswoman Zoe Lofgren of California\n House Committee on Natural Resources\n Congressman Ral Grijalva of Arizona, Chair\n\tCongresswoman Deb Haaland of New Mexico\n House Committee on Oversight and Reform\n Congressman Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts\n\tCongressman Gerry Connolly of Virginia\n House Committee on Science, Space and Technology\n Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Chair\n\tCongressman Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey\n House Committee on Small Business\n Congresswoman Nydia Velzquez of New York, Chair\n Congressman Jared Golden of Maine\nHouse Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure\n Congressman Antonio Delgado of New York\n\tCongressman Chris Pappas of New Hampshire\n House Committee on Veterans' Affairs\n Congressman Mark Takano of California, Chair\n\tCongresswoman Julia Brownley of California", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://sewell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-sewell-named-conferee-national-defense-authorization-act-conference"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.080421730875969, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}