Horsford Amendments Bolsters Annual Defense Spending Authorization

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, celebrated the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual funding bill for the Department of Defense and our nation’s Armed Forces. Throughout the mark-up process in committee, and on the House floor during this final consideration, Congressman Horsford has offered several amendments that improve servicemembers pay and benefits, strengthen military bases in Nevada, and make sure small businesses in Nevada can continue to contract with Defense Department.

“Our men and women in uniform are an integral part of Nevada, and our military bases and units help drive our economic engine and national security. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I was able to offer several amendments to strengthen this legislation for the people of Nevada,” said Congressman Horsford. “My amendments will accelerate investment and construction at the Nevada National Security Site, fast-track next generation adversary air training in a threat realistic environment at Nellis AFB, and expands funding for experiments and technological advancements that will help build our military’s capabilities for the future.”

Passed annually by Congress since 1961, the NDAA authorizes funding levels for the Department of Defense.  This legislation allows the Armed Forces to pay, train and equip U.S. servicemembers; support America’s allies around the world; and carry out essential national security operations.  With this year’s NDAA, House Democrats have advanced a range of key national security priorities:

• The largest pay raise in 20 years for Nevada servicemembers, including a 4.6 percent pay increase for uniformed and civilian personnel and 2.4 percent inflation bonuses for servicemembers earning less than $45,000 per year.
• $15 per hour minimum wage for federal contract workers.
• $61.65 million for construction at the Nevada National Security Site.
• Support for the people of Ukraine, including $1 billion for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) and additional efforts to reduce U.S. dependence on Russian energy.
• Resources for minority serving institutions, including more than $111 million in HBCU research funding and a pilot program to increase research capacity at MSIs.
• Investments in next-generation defense technology, including $275 million to fund advances in hypersonics, electronic warfare and artificial intelligence.
• Civilian harm mitigation measures, including the establishment of a Commission on Civilian Harm and a Center for Excellence in Civilian Harm Mitigation.
• Improvements to supply chain security, including an assessment of dual-use technology and strengthened risk management for pharmaceutical supply chains.
• Expanded cooperation with U.S. allies, including anti-trafficking and climate resilience efforts. 

The following amendments were approved by the House of Representatives during consideration of the NDAA on the House floor this week:

Horsford 88 – Sexual Health Screening and Telehealth Pilot Program

• This amendment implements two five-year Defense Health Agency telehealth pilot programs intended to reduce HIV infection and unintended pregnancy.

Horsford 89 – Scope 3 Emissions Pilot

• This amendment requires the Secretary of Defense to implement a program to track and reduce Scope 3 emissions and energy costs.

Horsford 90 – Army Hyperspectral Imaging

• This amendment requires a report from the Secretary of Defense on hyperspectral satellite technology.

Horsford 1145 – Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems

• This amendment authorizes a $25 million increase for Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) Palatized-High Energy Laser (P-HEL) to increase the number of deliverable units and accelerate product fielding. This funding will allow the development of emerging counter-unmanned aerial system high energy lasers, including those being designed and tested by Nevada companies.

The following amendments were approved by the House Armed Services committee during consideration of the NDAA last month, and were included in the final bill considered on the House floor this week:

Horsford 2161 and 2163 - Unmanned Adversary Air Emulator Aircraft DRL and Funding

• Requires a report on the Air Force strategy to develop and field unmanned adversary emulator aircraft and related propulsion systems. Increases the Air Force Aerospace Technology Dev/Demo RDT&E funding line by $20M to enable accelerated development of unmanned adversary emulator aircraft. This accelerates next generation adversary air training in a threat realistic environment at Nellis AFB. Fielding of these aircraft at Nellis and small surrounding regional airports would lead to significant investment and job growth in the district.

Horsford 2201 and 2162 - Responsive Space Language and Funding 

• This language represents the most comprehensive strategy for a responsive space program ever. It also requires the Space Force to conduct responsive space demonstrations and establishes a requirement for meaningful partnership with allies on responsive space.
• A separate Horsford amendment increased the Tactically Responsive Launch funding line from $75M to $100M, which will fund accelerated fielding of this capability.

Horsford 2253 - Other Transaction Authority Clarification

• Clarifies § 4022(f), making clear that all Transactions for Prototype will be considered to contain the authority for noncompetitive follow-on awards, even if explicit notification was not listed within the original request for proposal.
• This resolves a critical bureaucratic issue for small businesses and startups looking to compete for Department of Defense business.

DesJarlais - NNSA Minor Construction Threshold Increase (Co-Lead)

• Co-led with Rep. DesJarlais, this amendment increases National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) minor construction threshold for projects from $25M to $30M.
• This will accelerate investment and construction at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) and directly impact district construction contractors and quality of life for NNSS employees.

Horsford 2166 - Space Development Agency DRL

• Requires a briefing on the Space Development Agency’s plans to maintain an independent culture and authorities to enable it to successfully carry out its mission, and on plans to establish separate program elements.

Horsford 2167 - Restrictive Software License Agreements

• Requires GAO to examine the impacts of restrictive enterprise software licenses.

At the request of Congressman Horsford, the following language was included by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith in the final bill before it was sent to the House floor this week:

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Crew Management [DRL]

• Requires the Air Force to study Remotely Piloted Aircraft crew management, mental health services, retention, and combat recognition for airmen at Creech AFB. This is a critical first step to making meaningful progress in improving RPA quality of life and mental health.
• These studies are overdue and will bring badly needed attention and reform to the programs. 

Report on Feasibility of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Crew Preservation of the Force and Family Program

• Requires a report on the feasibility of implementing a program similar to Special Operations Command’s Preservation of the Force and Family Program [POTFF] for drone crews.
• POTFF has shown dramatic success in improving the holistic health and wellbeing of special operators and their families, and this study is the first step in bringing a similar program to the drone crews and their families facing similar stressors and operational tempos.

Reform of Service Commitment Disparities for Post-Graduate Education

• This bill language directly solves a constituent casework issue where the servicemember incurred an excessive and disproportionate service commitment due to a legal technicality. Service members participating in advanced degree programs will now have uniform service commitments.

Aviation Status Dashboard

• Supports Nevada businesses creating innovative software products for defense aviation units.

C-130J Basing ISI

The strategic basing process provides an enterprise-wide model for the Air Force to determine the future locations of their units, manpower, missions, and weapon systems. Basing these relatively stable number of airmen and equipment is a difficult task, namely due to the finite number of locations for which basing them would be useful and appropriate based on circumstances and conditions. The committee is aware of the Air Force’s and Air National Guard’s desire to reduce fleets of third- and fourth-generation aircraft to free up resources for fifth- and future-generation aircraft and capabilities, like the F-35, the Next Generation Air Dominance weapon system, and modified C-130Js. In order to wisely use the resources available to it, the committee encourages the Air Force and the Air National Guard to seek efficiencies while reviewing options for long-term basing for a wide variety of next generation aircraft, considering such factors as mission, installation capacity, environmental impacts, costs and strategic alignment, airspace, climate, and impacts to the community, like responding to natural disasters.

MQ-9 Modernization

• Directs continued modernization of the MQ-9 platform to ensure its relevancy in future conflict.

Degraded Visual Environment

• Supports Nevada business improving the safety of aircrews flying in difficult terrain.

Data Library Pilot Program made permanent

• The FY23 NDAA makes permanent a pilot program created by your FY22 amendment to establish data libraries for small businesses looking to provide DoD with cutting edge artificial intelligence tools.

###