releases: https://sablan.house.gov/2020-defense-bill-benefits-marianas
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://sablan.house.gov/2020-defense-bill-benefits-marianas | 2020 Defense bill benefits Marianas | 2019-12-16 | 2019 | 2019-12 | Democrat | House | MP | Gregorio Sablan | S001177 | sablan.house.gov | legacy | The conference report to accompany the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 passed the House Wednesday with several provisions beneficial to the Northern Marianas. These include: $45 million authorized for Air Force divert field projects on Tinian. The funding is part of a larger authorization of $316 million that will be used over several years $109 million for a parking apron, $98 million for phase one of the airfield development, and $109 million for fuel tanks with a pipeline/hydrant system. The Armed Services Committees believe the Air Force can spend $45 million on the projects in FY2020. An amendment that I offered in the House NDAA allowing students in associate degree programs to apply for a new technology and national security fellowship. The paid fellowships will place college STEM students in Defense or congressional offices. Language I cosponsored in H.R. 3428, extending to the Marianas a provision now in law that lets federal agencies double the value of a contract awarded to a Puerto Rico business for purposes of small business contracting goals. 12 weeks of paid parental leave for all federal employees in the case of birth, adoption, or fostering. I also successfully blocked language in the House-passed bill that only allowed American-owned or -operated companies with a national security waiver to be awarded telecommunications contracts for Defense facilities in the Pacific territories. The provision would have placed well-established, reputable businesses in the U.S. Pacific territories at an unfair disadvantage and stifle competition for DoD telecommunications services and equipment contracts across the Pacific, I told the Armed Services Committees in an August 29 letter. The unnecessarily restrictive language was removed from the conferenced bill. The $738 billion Defense bill also increases pay for service members by 3.1 percent and improves housing and other contributors to quality of life at military bases around the world. The NDAA conference report now heads to the Senate. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |