House passes FY2013 NDAA

by Sabrina Salas Matanane

Guam - Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo today announced that the House passed H.R. 4310, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2013, by a vote of 299 yeas to 120 noes. The Senate Armed Services Committee is expected to begin consideration of their version of the defense bill next week. Both bills will be reconciled in Conference Committee later this year.

H.R. 4310 authorizes spending and sets policy for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2013.  The House-passed FY13 NDAA leaves intact approximately $101 million in military construction projects for Guam, as well as an additional $128 million for the Guam Strike Fuel Cell Maintenance Hangar. It also maintains the President's budget request for $139.4 million in greater federal assistance for infrastructure improvements on Guam.

Additionally, the bill includes an amendment sponsored by Congresswoman Bordallo and Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina to codify the role and mission of the National Guard in the State Partnership Program. The amendment recognizes the importance of this program to our national strategic interests.

"The House today passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013," said Congresswoman Bordallo. "The bill contains important provisions that will help move the military build-up forward,  and strikes several requirements in section 2207 of the FY12 NDAA that have slowed the Department of Defense's ability to obligate and spend direct contributions from the Government of Japan as well as funds for military construction projects authorized by the FY12 NDAA.

"Further, the bill provides our servicemembers with a 1.6 percent increase in pay and rejects proposed increases in TRICARE fees or co-payments. As a whole, H.R. 4310 includes many important provisions that will strengthen our nation's defense and I thank Chairman McKeon and Ranking Member Smith for their efforts in working to develop this important legislation."

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:

• ·         Codifies the role and missions that the National Guard can perform under the State Partnership Program (SPP); Also clarifies the use of National Guard funding to support the SPP and codify that SPP missions must directly support the applicable COCOM commander and be coordinated with the senior Chief of Mission in any particular country;
• ·         Provides $75 million for the Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative (REPI) which is $25 million additional funding above the President's Budget;
• ·         Provides an additional $983,000 to the Navy O&M accounts to fully fund the requirements of the Navy Sea Cadet Corps program. The Navy Sea Cadet Corps is a critical program that assists the Navy in meeting recruiting goals;
• ·         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, including a requirement on "tangible progress" on a Futenma Replacement Facility, that inhibit the obligation and expenditure of direct contributions from the Government of Japan 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;
• ·         Restores force structure and airframe (C-130 and C-27J) cuts to the Air National Guard.  Reverses a decision by the Air Force to fundamental alter the role of the Air National Guard;
• ·         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 rejects 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.

Fiscal Year 2013 Military Construction Authorization of Appropriations