{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.hirono.senate.gov/press-releases/as-a-member-of-conference-committee-hirono-played-key-role-in-passage-of-this-years-national-defense-authorization-act", "As a Member of Conference Committee, Hirono Played Key Role in Passage of this Year’s National Defense Authorization Act", "2017-11-16", "2017", "2017-11", "Democrat", "House", "HI", "Mazie Hirono", "H001042", "www.hirono.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "As a Member of Conference Committee, Hirono Played Key Role in Passage of this Year\u2019s National Defense Authorization Act\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tAs a Member of Conference Committee, Hirono Played Key Role in Passage of this Year\u2019s National Defense Authorization Act\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, November 16, 2017\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Senator Mazie K. Hirono, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee, successfully secured provisions that will strengthen Hawaii\u2019s security and economy in the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act that passed the Senate today. Senator Hirono also served as a member of the NDAA Conference Committee, which reconciled the different versions of the bill passed by the House and Senate. The NDAA is a bill that lays out the resource levels and defense policy for the year.\r\n\u201cThis year\u2019s NDAA reflects the central role Hawaii plays in supporting and advancing our country\u2019s strategic interests in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region,\u201d said Senator Hirono. \u201cFrom establishing the Asia Pacific Security Initiative, to fighting back against headquarters cuts at Pacific Command, and enhancing our nation\u2019s missile defense capabilities, this legislation strengthens our national security and benefits those who serve in Hawaii and across the country.\u201d\r\nAfter passing the Senate, the bill will now go to the President for his signature or veto.\r\nBelow is a list of provisions Senator Hirono secured for Hawaii as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the NDAA Conference Committee:\r\nEnhancing Protection of the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region:\u00a0Senator Hirono added in a provision that requires the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with regional commanders, to submit to Congress a plan that includes the consideration of increased visible presence of key U.S. military assets.\r\nStrengthening Energy Resiliency:\u00a0Senator Hirono included several provisions that protect energy grids from cyber-attacks, authorize the Department of Defense to increase energy resiliency and conservation projects, and encourage the Department of Defense to work with the private sector to finance renewable energy projects on military installations.\r\nFighting Back Against PACOM Headquarters Cuts:\u00a0Senator Hirono included a provision requiring the Department of Defense to review data on past growth of specific headquarters staffs as well as current and projected mission requirements before assessing staff cuts. This provision will ensure that any personnel reductions deemed necessary by the Secretary do not disproportionately impact commands like PACOM, protecting jobs in Hawaii and ensuring that PACOM has the personnel necessary to cover the largest area of responsibility of any of the Department\u2019s combatant commands.\r\nInvesting in Military Construction in Hawaii\r\n$90 million for Fort Shafter\u2019s Command and Control Facility\r\n$73.2 million for the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam\u2019s Sewer Lift Station\r\n$65.9 million for the Navy\u2019s Command Facility\r\n$26.5 million for Marine Corps Base Hawaii\u2019s Mokapu Gate\r\n$25 million for the Army\u2019s Pohakuloa Training Area\r\n$19 million for the Navy\u2019s MV-22 Landing Pad\r\n$6 million for Energy Resiliency Projects at Marine Corps Base Hawaii\r\n$5.5 million for Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam\u2019s Consolidated Training Facility\r\n$5 million for Wahiawa\u2019s Kunia Tunnel Entrance\r\nStrengthening U.S.-Palau Compact:\u00a0Senator Hirono worked with the Committee to include an agreement that keeps our commitment to Palau, a key strategic partner, by funding the U.S.-Palau compact. The President\u2019s budget includes $123.9 million for the United States\u2019 remaining funding commitment to the U.S.-Palau Compact.\r\nAssessing China\u2019s Influence:\u00a0Senator Hirono included a provision that calls for an independent study of how China\u2019s expanded influence through economic and military investments across the Indo-Asia-Pacific impacts regional security and U.S. policy for mitigating any harmful effects resulting from China\u2019s actions.\r\nImproving Missile Defense Capabilities:\u00a0Senator Hirono worked with Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) to include a provision to improve the capabilities of our missile defense system.\r\nEstablishing Asia Pacific Stability Initiative:\u00a0Senator Hirono and Senator John McCain included a provision authorizing an Asia Pacific Stability Initiative to help warfighting capability and to strengthen partnerships with allies in the region.\r\nFunding Anti-Corrosion Efforts:\u00a0Corrosion costs the DoD about $20 billion per year. Senator Hirono supported increased funding for corrosion control and prevention efforts, which is important to Hawaii as its unique environment often leads to significant corrosion of military assets such as helicopters and other aircraft. She also fought off a provision which would have eliminated the DoD\u2019s Office of Corrosion Policy and Prevention.\u00a0 She also included a provision directing a GAO review of the Pentagon\u2019s corrosion control and prevention efforts.\r\nStrengthening Research Agreements with Universities:\u00a0Senator Hirono included provisions that support research and development agreements between the Department of Defense and universities and provides the Secretary of Defense authority to establish mechanisms for expedited access to technical talent and expertise at academic institutions to support critical missions such as cybersecurity, unmanned systems, and advanced materials among others.\r\nPromoting Military Family Stability:\u00a0Senator Hirono included several provisions to help military families undergoing permanent change of stations within the U.S., including more flexibility with staying in government quarters and the creation of a pilot program on public-private partnerships for telework facilities on overseas military installations to improve hiring of military spouses.\r\nStreamlining of Acquisition Process:\u00a0Senator Hirono worked with the Committee to include provisions that would streamline the acquisition process, including a provision to support innovation at Department of Defense laboratories and a training program to establish in-resident target training on agile acquisition.\r\nExpanding Major Range and Test Facility Bases:\u00a0Senator Hirono supported efforts to create incentives for the Department of Defense workforce at laboratories and test ranges and to encourage the Department of Defense to use existing authority and $150 million in funding for infrastructure improvements at major range and test facility bases.\r\nStrengthening Cybersecurity Education and Training Programs:\u00a0Senator Hirono included provisions allowing easier access to universities for engineering or operational needs for cybersecurity. In addition, Senator Hirono included funding for Maui\u2019s high performance computing modernization program and well as increased funding for universities and industry research centers to encourage the development of new technology and defense systems.\r\n###", 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://www.hirono.senate.gov/press-releases/as-a-member-of-conference-committee-hirono-played-key-role-in-passage-of-this-years-national-defense-authorization-act"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.044134074822068, "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"}