{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://tsongas.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=1644", "Army releases new, updated policy on breastfeeding", "2015-12-16", "2015", "2015-12", "Democrat", "House", "MA", "Niki Tsongas", "T000465", "tsongas.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  December 16, 2015 Over the past year, Congresswoman Niki Tsongas (MA-3) has championed legislation that would require the U.S. Army to develop a comprehensive policy regarding breastfeeding. The Army was the only branch of the military that did not have a standard policy to which breastfeeding mothers and their commanders could refer. The Army has released a new, updated set of policies regarding breastfeeding, requiring, among other things, that commanders set aside specific nursing areas that are sanitary and provide the necessary time and resources for nursing mothers. The Army previously released a policy in September that received sharp criticism from Army women and mothers who deemed it inadequate. The Army subsequently went back and revised the policy. Although there is much more work to do to support Army moms and servicewomen in general, the changes are certainly a positive step, said Rep. Tsongas. Secretaries Carter and McHugh, Acting Secretary Fanning, General Milley and General Odierno and others showed a willingness to make this a priority. The Army listened to concerns from Army moms and took them seriously after putting forward an inadequate first attempt back in September. This policy shows a strong commitment to helping our dedicated American servicewomen to be the best soldiers and the best mothers that they can be. Tsongas legislation was included in the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which required the Army to put in place a comprehensive policy. In recent months, Tsongas remained in communication with Army leaders, receiving updates on progress from then-Army Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno and others. The NDAA was signed into law by President Obama last month. Rep. Tsongas has long advocated on behalf of the growing number of women in the military, and supported the militarys efforts to recruit and retain women within the services. She has taken a leading national role on critical issues such as womens health, gender-specific body armor and gear, addressing the epidemic of sexual assault within the armed forces, and more. She sees the breastfeeding issue as an example of a broader problem within the military, where equality is not yet a reality. As more doors open to servicewomen and a greater talent pool is tapped, the military must find ways to support all those who wear the uniform, Rep. Tsongas said. This necessitates addressing womens health matters, like breastfeeding, and developing equipment and policies that increase womens safety and success on and off the battlefield. Supporting military women is essential to building the strongest military possible. From a practical standpoint, the Army spends millions of dollars training women to do a job. Without adequate support, resources and health care options, many women may choose to leave the military at the end of their enlistments, denying the military their talents. Rep. Tsongas, a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, also serves as co-chair of the Military Sexual Assault Prevention Caucus and the Air Force Caucus. Tsongas recently authored an Op-Ed in the Army Timesadvocating for action on behalf of numerous women who came forward with concerns regarding the Armys lack of a standard breastfeeding policy.\r\n\r\n\t####", 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://tsongas.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=49&itemid=1644"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7136061321943998, "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"}