releases: https://crist.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2218
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://crist.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2218 | Crist Praises Passage of Defense Bill, Wins for Servicemembers and Vets Included | 2020-12-08 | 2020 | 2020-12 | Democrat | House | FL | Charlie Crist | C001111 | crist.house.gov | legacy | Washington, DC U.S. Representative Charlie Crist (D-St. Petersburg) released a statement following House passage of the Conference Report on H.R. 6395, the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2021.The bipartisan funding bill, which authorizes $732 billion for national defense, passed the House 335-78, a veto-proof margin. The legislation features major Crist-championed wins for servicemembers, veterans, and our military readiness such as: Protects the hard-earned benefits of Coast Guard retirees from future government shutdowns through Crist'sCoast Guard Retirement Parity Act; Helps veterans find jobs quicker after their service by studying the transferability of military certifications to civilian life; Exposes the unfair practice of using family medical records to deny enlistees from military families when they try to join the military as adults; Holds the pentagon accountable for delivering on theCrist effortto prepare and protect MacDill and other bases from sea level rise and climate change. For the 60thstraight year, Congress has passed a National Defense Authorization Act. I am proud to have voted on an agreement that confronts our adversaries, invests in new technologies vital to our national security, and keeps our country safe,said Rep. Crist. This year, Congress has also focused special attention to improving the lives of those who serve, including a 3% pay raise, making military housing safer, and protecting people who report sexual harassment and discrimination. It also keeps faith with veterans, protecting the hard-earned retirement of thousands of Coasties and finally expanding Agent Orange-related benefits for Vietnam veterans. My number one job as a Member of Congress is to keep Pinellas families safe, and this bipartisan agreement does just that. The National Defense Authorization Act also includes: A 3% pay raise for servicemembers and an increase in Hazardous Duty Pay to $275 a month; Long-overdue benefits for Agent Orange-exposed veterans by adding Parkinsonism, bladder cancer, and hypothyroidism to the Agent Orange Presumptive List; Protections for families in military housing, like those at MacDill AFB, by updating minimum health and safety standards for government-owned housing, repealing a law that allows the DOD to place families in substandard housing units, and requiring DOD to implement all Government Accountability Office recommendations for improvements; A new Domestic Violence Task Force to actively work to stop domestic violence in the military; Allowing victims of sexual harassment to make confidential reports outside the chain of command; Report on the progress of restoring honor to veterans unjustly discharged under Don't Ask, Don't Tell, which has kept them from qualifying for the benefits they have earned; And inclusion of VA employees in the paid parental leave benefit for federal employees. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |