{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-votes-defense-policy-bill-1", "HYDE-SMITH VOTES FOR DEFENSE POLICY BILL", "2024-12-18", "2024", "2024-12", "Republican", "Senate", "MS", "Cindy Hyde-Smith", "H001079", "www.hydesmith.senate.gov", "hydesmith", "https://www.hydesmith.senate.gov/newsroom", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today supported final Senate passage of a massive defense policy bill that includes legislation she introduced to ensure that students, who serve in the National Guard and Reserve, will be guaranteed readmission to their schools following a deployment.\n\nThe overall FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act (HR.5009) establishes policies and sets funding guidelines for the FY2025 Defense Appropriations Bill that will actually allocate funds for Department of Defense (DOD) activities. The bill now goes to the White House to be signed into law.\n\n\u201cThe NDAA is crucial because it adjusts policy and funding recommendations to meet current and future requirements to strengthen our national security. This measure is far from perfect given the current administration and congressional makeup, but it does include key policy changes to support servicemembers and their families while ending misguided \u2018woke\u2019 policies,\u201d said Hyde-Smith, who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee.\n\nOther notable provisions in the FY2025 NDAA include:\n\nAuthorizes a 14.5 percent pay increase for junior enlisted troops and increased access to child care for service members, in addition to a 4.5 percent across-the-board pay raise for all other service members\n\nEliminates funding for DEI programs and the Countering Extremism Working Group\n\nProhibits TRICARE, the military healthcare provider, from covering transgender services for the minor dependents of service members\n\nReforms DOD procurement policies and improves oversight\n\nAuthorizes expanded shipbuilding and aircraft capabilities\n\nExtends support for Israel while expanding \u201ctough-on-China\u201d policies", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"]], "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.hydesmith.senate.gov/hyde-smith-votes-defense-policy-bill-1"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.138980034738779, "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"}