HASC Subcommittees Release Details of National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013

Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo today announced that the House Armed Services Committee has completed all subcommittee mark-ups on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (FY13 NDAA).  Several provisions sponsored by Congresswoman Bordallo were included in the Chairman’s marks.  The NDAA must still be considered by the House Armed Services full committee and on the floor of the House of Representatives.

The FY13 NDAA authorizes spending and sets policy for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2013.  The FY13 NDAA supports on-going defense contingency operations overseas and authorizes approximately $101 million in military construction projects for Guam, as well as an additional $128 million for the Guam Strike Fuel Cell Maintenance Hangar which was initially requested last year by the U.S. Air Force.  The bill also increases servicemembers’ pay by 1.7% and supports the President’s request for $139.4 million in greater federal assistance for infrastructure improvements on Guam. Notably, the bill does not act on the President’s Budget request to immediately increase TRICARE fees or co-pays and index them for future cost increases for military retirees and beneficiaries.

The bill now moves to the full committee where it is subject to amendment and where subcommittees’ provisions will have to be ratified. It will then move to the floor of the full House of Representatives, where it again is subject to amendment before passage by the House.  Congresswoman Bordallo will continue to fight for Guam’s interests in the bill as it moves through the legislative process. 

“The House Armed Services Committee continues its commitment to ensuring our servicemembers are provided the resources to ensure that our military remains the best trained and equipped force that our nation has ever seen,” said Congresswoman Bordallo. “Most importantly, the bill demonstrates a commitment to the realignment of forces in the Asia-Pacific region.  The FY13 NDAA builds off yesterday’s announcement about a revised agreement between the U.S. Government and the Government of Japan about the realignment of forces in the Pacific.  The mark also takes steps to eliminate restrictions placed in last year’s defense bill that inhibit the ability of military construction funds to be spent on Guam.  I believe these actions show that we are serious about getting the military build-up back on track.  We also authorize funding from punitive cuts to Air Force projects in last year’s bill as well.  I also worked to ensure that the mark contains significant funding to address some of Guam’s most pressing civilian infrastructure requirements, most importantly funding to begin fixing our wastewater system. 

"The bill also prohibits the retirement and mothballing of the Global Hawk fleet.  Our country invested millions of dollars in developing this critical asset and retiring the fleet now is an unsound decision.  The PACOM area of responsibility needs additional Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance assets and the bill helps to protect those assets on Guam and other locations across the globe.  In these fiscally austere times, we need to make difficult choices but mothballing the Global Hawk was not the right decision.  This bill also rejects the Department of Defense’s proposal to significantly increase TRICARE fees, and maintains the co-pay and fee structures at their current levels. I oppose efforts to raise these fees, and I believe that we should not balance the budget on the backs of those whom have served our country. Additionally, the bill continues to demonstrate my commitment to the National Guard.  The mark contains a provision I sponsored with Congressman David Loebsack of Iowa to ensure rate protection of Basic Allowance for Housing to National Guardsmen who transition from full-time National Guard duty to Title 10 Active Duty orders and vice versa.  It is important that we maintain a smooth transition when changing orders for members of our National Guard.  It’s our responsibility to ensure they don’t have to worry about administrative details when they are supporting our nation in harm’s way.” 

A table of the President’s budget request and a summary of Congresswoman Bordallo’s requested and supported provisions included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 are listed below:

• Prohibits the retirement of the RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft, protecting a critical ISR mission for Andersen Air Force Base;

• Fully funds $139.4 million in Defense-Wide Operations and Maintenance funding through the Office of Economic Adjustment to support civilian infrastructure projects on Guam;

• Strikes certain requirements of section 2207 from the FY12 NDAA that inhibit the obligation and expenditure of Government of Japan direct contributions as well as FY12 military construction funding;

• Provides the Department of Defense with authority to transfer operations and maintenance funding to state and local governments, including the Government of Guam, or federal agencies to fund and support infrastructure improvements through 2018;

• Requires the Secretary of Defense to certify the national security interests for training ranges on Guam.  The certification would establish why it is critical for training facilities to be constructed on Guam to support the Marine relocation to the island;

• Fully authorizes $128 million for the Guam Strike Fuel Systems Hangar at Andersen Air Force Base.  This authorization will allow the Air Force to obligate and spend the $62 million in funding for this project that was appropriated, but not authorized, in last year’s defense bills.  The authorization will allow the Air Force to continue addressing critical infrastructure needs to support expanding missions at Andersen AFB;

• Provides rate protection in payment of Basic Allowance for Housing for members of the National Guard who transition from Full-time National Guard duty to title 10 and vice versa, the language is similar to H.R. 2733 which Congresswoman Bordallo introduced with Congressman David Loebsack of Iowa;

• Requires governing body for the military Exchange and Commissary system to establish guidelines for identifying fresh meat, poultry, seafood, produce and other sustainable products and also require a goal for procuring additional sustainable products;

• Does not authorize a BRAC round for 2013 and 2015;

• Reauthorizes travel reimbursement authority for the National Guard members performing inactive duty training for one year;

• Enhances foreign ship repair report requirements to require the Department of the Navy to justify utilizing foreign ship repair facilities when conducting maintenance and repair work on U.S. Navy vessels;

• Provides servicemembers with a 1.7% increase in pay;

• Maintains current TRICARE copayment and fee structures and does not act on the Department of Defense proposal to significantly increase TRICARE fees;

• Authorizes high schools in the Freely Associated States (FAS) to establish JROTC programs.  The provision would provide students in the FAS with opportunities to train for military service;

• Modernizes the Defense Access Roads (DAR) program and requires a military master plan for all installations across the United States and in the territories as well as for military master planners to coordinate with local transportation authorities to coordinate certain transportation projects;

• Report on conversion of Overseas Housing Allowance to Basic Allowance for Housing for servicemembers in the U.S. territories.