{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases/12/18/2024/van-hollen-secures-key-provisions-in-annual-defense-bill-passed-by-senate", "Van Hollen Secures Key Provisions in Annual Defense Bill Passed by Senate", "2024-12-18", "2024", "2024-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "MD", "Chris Van Hollen", "V000128", "www.vanhollen.senate.gov", "vanhollen", "https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) voted to pass the final fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the Senate, which includes important investments in Maryland\u2019s military installations, our servicemembers, and our national security. The legislation provides more than $250 million to Maryland military installations, as well as a 14.5 percent pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers and a 4.5 percent pay raise for all other servicemembers.\n\n\u201cInvesting in our military installations and the men and women of our armed forces is important to maintaining our national security. This year\u2019s defense bill includes a significant pay raise for junior enlisted members along with improvements in housing and other key supports for all servicemembers\u2019 families. These are critical steps to ensure we continue to recruit and retain the best fighting force in the world. And as we confront increasingly complex threats across the globe, this legislation also enhances our national security readiness, including through forward-looking investments in Maryland\u2019s military assets and the development of next generation technologies. Recognizing the essential role our foreign service plays in promoting U.S. interests around the world \u2013 and the sacrifices they make to do it \u2013 this bill also takes meaningful steps to improve the quality of life of our diplomatic corps and the family members who travel with them to their posts.\n\n\u201cFor all its benefits for America\u2019s national security, this legislation is still far from perfect. I am deeply concerned about the harmful language unfairly targeting transgender youth and their families. In addition, the bill does not make crucial revisions to the recent reauthorization of Section 702 of FISA, opening the door to increased abuse of a powerful surveillance authority. And I continue to believe we must find ways to streamline our defense spending so we can invest more in priorities here at home. That being said, on balance this compromise NDAA will strengthen our common defense and the servicemembers who protect our nation,\u201d said Senator Van Hollen.\n\nWithin the FY25 NDAA, Senator Van Hollen fought to include the following provisions:\n\nFunding authorization for critical military construction projects in Maryland, including:\n\n$116 million for various projects at Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head in Charles County\n\nThis total includes $10 million for a contained burn facility at the warfare center\n\n$68.8 million for energy resilience and conservation programs at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County, including for the construction of a power generation and microgrid\n\n$46 million for a child care center at Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County\n\n$27 million for the ongoing construction of an incinerator facility at Fort Detrick in Frederick County\n\nPreserving states\u2019 full slates of Merchant Marine Academy nomination allowances. This provision ensures that high school students applying to attend the Merchant Marine Academy do not lose the opportunity to be nominated because of a vacancy in the office of one of their U.S. Senators or Representative in the U.S. House. This measure builds on Senator Van Hollen\u2019s SERVE Act provisions that were passed as part of the FY22 NDAA, which allowed the transfer of nomination slots for the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, and U.S. Military Academy to a state\u2019s U.S. Senators in the event of a Congressional vacancy \u2013 or to one Senator if that vacancy is created by the other.\n\nSenator Van Hollen, along with Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and then-Congressman Anthony Brown (D-Md.), fought to pass the SERVE Act after the death of Congressman Elijah Cummings.\n\n$500 million funding authorization for the Port Infrastructure Development Program, a key program that has supported the growth of the Port of Baltimore.\n\nThe FY25 NDAA also includes the Department of State Authorization Act, bipartisan legislation to support America\u2019s diplomatic corps and advance U.S. diplomacy around the world. Senator Van Hollen fought to include the following provisions:\n\nGreater flexibility for foreign service families\u2019 housing arrangements. Currently, foreign service officers (FSOs) are permitted to break housing leases when transitioning to an overseas post, but not when they are assigned a new domestic post \u2013 an issue that heavily impacts diplomatic security agents who frequently serve in domestic offices outside of Washington, D.C. This provision allows FSOs on official orders to break leases without financial penalties, regardless of where they serve.\n\nPortability of professional licenses. FSOs and their family members often run the risk of losing their professional licenses when they relocate on official orders \u2013 particularly harming the employment prospects of FSOs\u2019 family members. This provision offers the same professional license portability benefit that is already available to family of military members.\n\nExpanded eligibility for the State Department child care subsidy. The application for the State Department\u2019s employee child care subsidy is open only for a brief period each year, making it difficult for FSOs who relocate from a post where they did not require child care to one where they do. This provision allows FSOs to enroll in child care services any time a life-qualifying event occurs, and requires the State Department to issue guidance to employees on how to apply for existing child care subsidy programs provided by the agencies.\n\nFair pay for locally-hired foreign service generalists and specialists. Currently, locally hired foreign service personnel (residing within 50 miles of the Washington Monument) receive base pay without the locality adjustment of 32.49 percent that non-local hires receive, and without any reimbursement for lodging or per diem expenses for the duration of onboarding and training, which can last up to 12 months. This provision makes local hires eligible to receive certain per diem reimbursements to assist with living expenses.\n\nAdditional provisions to advance American technological competitiveness and military readiness that the Senator supported include:\n\nUp to $500 million from spectrum auction proceeds for the Department of Commerce\u2019s Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (\u201cTech Hubs\u201d) program, which was established in the bipartisan CHIPS & Science Act of 2022. Funds can be used to support designated Tech Hubs and to expand the program. In 2023, The Baltimore Region Tech Hub was designated as one of the thirty-one inaugural Tech Hubs, out of a competitive pool of nearly 400 applications from across the country.\n\n$102.3 million funding authorization for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to partner with the Department of Defense on research and development for national security purposes.\n\nAdditional provisions to support servicemembers and their families that the Senator supported include:\n\n$177 million funding authorization to accelerate replacement of poor and failing unaccompanied housing and barracks, and a requirement to create a database of housing complaints to track mold growth, carbon monoxide, and radiation, among other health hazards\n\nElimination of copayments for all FDA approved, granted, or cleared contraceptives for beneficiaries of TRICARE, a health care program for uniformed service members, retirees, and their families\n\nCodification of the Small Business Administration\u2019s \u201cBoots to Business\u201d Program, which provides entrepreneurship training to servicemembers transitioning to civilian life", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T22:13:55Z"]], "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.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases/12/18/2024/van-hollen-secures-key-provisions-in-annual-defense-bill-passed-by-senate"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.0662129390984774, "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"}