Tenney votes to fund troops in FY’19 NDAA
$14.2 million was included for the perimeter fence at Rome Lab
Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-NY) voted July 26 in favor of H.R. 5515 – John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act. This bill authorizes and prioritizes funding for the Department of Defense and military activities and construction and prescribes military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2019.
A bill must be passed by the House and Senate in identical form and then be signed by the president to become law, Tenney said.
“This bill was passed in the House and was then sent to the Senate,” Tenney said. “The Senate then sent it back to the House with changes.”
She said the $14.2 million she secured for the perimeter fence at Rome Lab was kept in the Senate version, but excluded was her provision allowing veterans access to fitness facilities. Tenney said despite her advocacy and work in attempting to ensure its inclusion in the Senate bill, the Senate failed to include this important provision.
“The NDAA strengthens our military, bolsters missile defense, gives our troops a pay raise and provides resources for important advances in innovative technology to better combat a 21st-century battlefield,” Tenney said. “To my deep disappointment, the provision allowing veterans access to fitness facilities was removed in the Senate’s changes. The veterans in our region deserve access to this facility and I am disheartened that the Senate failed to act on this important fix.
“This was a common-sense amendment that unanimously passed the House but was not included in the conference report due to a lack of similar language offered in the Senate. Going forward, I will do all I can to ensure this legislation to reopen the gym to veterans becomes law and our nation’s heroes are fully supported.”
This month, Tenney sent a letter to Chairmen Thornberry and McCain and Ranking Members Smith and Reed, as well as the members of the NDAA Conference Committee, urging the committee to include her amendment. Read the full letter here.