{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://trentkelly.house.gov/newsroom/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4624", "Representatives Wilson, Sherrill, Kelly, Luria, Stefanik, and Stivers Introduce Body Armor for Females Modernization Act\n\nDecember 19, 2019 | Posted in Press Releases\n\nTags:\nNational Defense / Veterans\n\n\n\r\nWASHINGTON -\u00a0On December 19, Representative Joe Wilson (SC-02) with Representatives Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Trent Kelly (MS-01), Elaine Luria (VA-02), Elise Stefanik (NY-21), and Steve Stivers (OH-15) along with Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) released the below statements following the introduction of H.R. 5491, the Body Armor for Females Modernization Act (BAFMA):\r\n\r\n\u201cFort Jackson\u2026 Read more \u00bb", "2019-12-19", "2019", "2019-12", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Trent Kelly", "K000388", "trentkelly.house.gov", "trentkelly", "https://trentkelly.house.gov/newsroom/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "WASHINGTON - On December 19, Representative Joe Wilson (SC-02) with Representatives Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Trent Kelly (MS-01), Elaine Luria (VA-02), Elise Stefanik (NY-21), and Steve Stivers (OH-15) along with Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) released the below statements following the introduction of H.R. 5491, the Body Armor for Females Modernization Act (BAFMA):\n\n\u201cFort Jackson trains more than 60% of all women entering the Army each year. Women deserve the proper fitting personal protective equipment from the day they enter the military \u2013 not just when deploying. Our military\u2019s readiness depends on Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, and Sailors to \u2018train like they fight.\u2019 This bill will expedite the procuring and fielding of new generation equipment that better protects females,\u201d said Congressman Joe Wilson. \u201cI\u2019m grateful to work to reduce injuries to all of our brave servicemembers by ensuring they have the right equipment from day one. This bill will improve overall combat effectiveness while increasing our military\u2019s readiness.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn the Navy, pilots are required to wear dry suits \u2013 waterproof equipment with neck and wrist seals \u2013 when the water goes below a certain temperature. I couldn\u2019t fly when that happened because the standard wrist seals were too big, and my suit would not have functioned properly,\u201d said Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill. \u201cI am pleased to work with Representative Wilson on this bill that will push DoD to develop personal protective equipment that better fits and protects all servicemembers, particularly women. This bill also directs DoD to collaborate with academia and industry to ensure our nation is on the cutting edge when it comes to keeping our troops safe.\u201d\n\n\u201cI commend Congressman Wilson\u2019s efforts to ensure America sends her daughters to war with equipment that unleashes their full potential when facing the nation\u2019s enemies in combat,\u201d said Congressman Trent Kelly. \u201cOur female service members deserve to be equipped properly from day one of their service in order to prevent injury and so that they can train as they fight.\u201d\n\n\u201cWomen who serve in combat capacities in the Armed Forces deserve the protective equipment they need to be effective warfighters,\u201d Congresswoman Elaine Luria said. \u201cProper fitting protective equipment is necessary to protect servicemembers from preventable injuries. That\u2019s why I\u2019m championing the Female Armor Modernization Act, which would bring better-fitting protective equipment to the brave women serving our country.\u201d\n\n\u201cI am proud to be an original cosponsor to the Body Armor Modernization for Females Act and have the opportunity to work with a bipartisan team in both the House and the Senate on this important issue,\u201d said Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. \u201cAs women take on more roles within the increasingly diverse Armed Forces, it is important that we equip service members of all shapes and sizes with properly fitting protective gear. This bill aims for every soldier to be outfitted with the right equipment so she can \u2018train as she fights.\u2019 I\u2019m proud to work with my colleagues to lean forward with the next steps of fielding the next generation of protective equipment.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs a Brigadier General, I\u2019m seeing the military evolve before our eyes - there are over 200,000 women in the Armed Forces, and with combat roles now open to women, that number is only going to grow,\u201d said Congressman Steve Stivers. \u201cAs a Member of a Congress it is my duty to make sure all American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have the tools necessary to be mission capable,\u201d said Stivers. \u201cI am glad this legislation recognizes this and will provide our servicewomen with the proper gear they need to protect them and prevent potential injuries.\u201d\n\n\u201cWomen continue to make strides in serving in critical roles within our nation\u2019s military. As a woman who served in combat and commanded troops during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and with my own daughter who is going through training right now at West Point, I understand just how important it is for all servicemembers to be properly equipped for the battlefield,\u201d said Senator Ernst, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities. \u201cRight now, female servicemembers are facing injuries due to ill-fitting equipment. We must do better for our military men and women. This commonsense, bipartisan proposal is a step toward ensuring adequate and proper-fitting equipment is readily available to our female servicemembers to ensure their readiness, survivability, and effectiveness in combat.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-07T14:16:54Z", "2026-04-07T14:20:14Z"]], "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://trentkelly.house.gov/newsroom/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4624"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9961768519133329, "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"}