REP LIEU’S AMENDMENTS PASS HOUSE AS A PART OF FY23 NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) issued the following statement after the House passed the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act for FY23. The NDAA that passed the House includes bold reforms to address and mitigate civilian harm in military operations, expand support for service members and their families, and increase diversity in the defense and national security space. The bill also contains six provisions that Congressman Lieu authored including his amendment authorizing the VA to use collected funds to develop housing and services for homeless veterans at the West LA VA and his amendment to create an Office of City and State Diplomacy at the State Department to support local engagement with foreign nations.
"I'm pleased that once again the House passed this year's defense authorization act," Rep. Lieu said."Investments and programs in this bill will help our country meet 21st century challenges head on by investing in innovation and technology, while ensuring our service members have the resources they need. The amendments I authored in this bill address an array of issues from ensuring the West Los Angeles VA can use funds collected from easements to help homeless veterans to taking steps to better protect our space systems as critical infrastructure.The bill also includes a provision on the U.S.'s role in the conflict in Yemen—an issue I have been leading on since 2015. As the legislative process continues, I look forward to continuing to champion these important provisions."
City and State Diplomacy Amendment: Adds the text of H.R. 4526, the City and State Diplomacy Act, establishing within the Department of State the Office of City and State Diplomacy, which shall coordinate federal support for engagement by state and municipal governments with foreign governments.
COVID-19 Warrior Dog Amendment: Expresses the sense of Congress that the Army's ongoing research effort related to working dogs detecting infectious diseases, including COVID-19, is showing promising results and should continue to receive funding.
Space as Critical Infrastructure Amendment: Tasks the Government Accountability Office with conducting a report on the Department of Homeland Security's progress in evaluating space as a sector of critical infrastructure and what gaps in space coverage exist among the 16 current critical infrastructure sectors.
Disaster Readiness at Correctional Facilities Amendment: Adds the text of H.R. 7940, the Correctional Facility Disaster Preparedness Act, requiring the Bureau of Prisons to submit to Congress an annual summary report of disaster damage in order to improve oversight of disaster readiness.
Yemen Coalition Investigation Amendment: Requires the Secretary of State to develop guidance for investigating indications that U.S.-origin defense articles have been used in Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition in substantial violation of relevant agreements with countries participating in the coalition and to report to Congress, consistent with GAO recommendations.
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