[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 22, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H3616-H3617]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CRITICAL INITIATIVES INCLUDED IN FISCAL YEAR 2021 NATIONAL DEFENSE 
                           AUTHORIZATION ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the House passed H.R. 6395, the 
William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act.
  The passage of this year's NDAA in the House was a bipartisan 
achievement done under extremely difficult circumstances, and I would 
like to congratulate Chairman Adam Smith, and particularly Ranking 
Member Mac Thornberry, as this will be his final NDAA before his 
retirement at the end of this year.
  I wanted to take a few moments to highlight some of the provisions in 
this legislation which I am grateful were included.
  These include provisions which will strengthen manufacturing in my 
home

[[Page H3617]]

State, protect the employment rights of our Nation's servicemembers, 
help to improve maternal and mental healthcare for servicemembers and 
their families, and strengthen ties with one of our Nation's oldest 
allies.
  The Southern New England Regional Commission, H.R. 5124, which this 
bill included, establishes a regional commission that will facilitate 
the investment of Federal funds in southern New England, including my 
home State of Rhode Island, to build upon our regional strengths, such 
as defense manufacturing, shipbuilding, and renewable energy. This 
initiative will generate critical economic growth in the region to 
reduce poverty, unemployment, and out-migration in counties that were 
hit hardest by the Great Recession and now by COVID-19.
  Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge Congressmen   Joe Courtney,  Joe Kennedy, 
Stephen Lynch,   John Larson, and Bill Keating, who are cosponsors of 
this legislation, and I thank them for their support of this critical 
initiative which will benefit all of our districts.
  This year's NDAA also includes the Justice for Servicemembers Act, 
H.R. 2750, which I authored, clarifying that the statutory rights of 
servicemembers and their families under the Servicemembers Civil Relief 
Act cannot be waived through forced arbitration unless it is agreed to 
after a dispute arises.
  American servicemembers, veterans, and their families have sacrificed 
much in service of our country. They have fought to protect the 
fundamental idea that we are a nation of laws and institutions that 
guarantee the rights and prosperity of every American.
  Since the Second World War, Congress has created many laws, including 
the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, to provide essential protections 
and guarantee every veteran and Active-Duty servicemember, including 
the Reserves and National Guard, the right to be free from workplace 
discrimination on the basis of their military service and their right 
to their day in court to enforce these protections. But for too long, 
forced arbitration has eroded these fundamental protections by 
funneling servicemembers' claims into a private system set up by 
corporations without the same procedural safeguards of our justice 
system.
  Buried deep within the fine print of everyday contracts, forced 
arbitration clauses block the brave men and women in uniform, as well 
as their family members, from having their day in court to hold 
corporations accountable for breaking the law. This bipartisan 
provision ends this shameful practice by clarifying that arbitration 
clauses are only enforceable if agreed to by servicemembers or their 
families after a dispute arises.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Congressman Jared Golden, 
Congresswoman Susan Davis, and Congressman Guy Reschenthaler, for their 
strong bipartisan support for this provision to protect our men and 
women in uniform.

                              {time}  0915

  Also included in this year's NDAA is a provision which will require 
the Department of Defense to provide a report to Congress on the 
maternal healthcare, in particular mental healthcare, that is available 
to our Nation's servicemembers, as well as the spouses of 
servicemembers.
  According to the CDC, 1 in 8 women nationwide experience symptoms of 
postpartum depression, and in some States that percentage can be high 
as 1 in 5.
  Yet, according to the What to Expect Project, data related to 
instances of postpartum depression and other mental health conditions 
associated with pregnancy and childbirth is not widely available.
  This report required by the amendment will require the Department of 
Defense to outline the care that is currently available for 
servicemembers and their spouses who may experience symptoms of 
postpartum depression.
  Finally, this year's NDAA will include a provision which will 
encourage greater investment and trade between the United States and 
Portugal.
  Last year, I introduced the Advancing Mutual Interests and Growing 
Our Success, or the AMIGOS Act, H.R. 565, which makes Portuguese 
nationals eligible for E-1 and E-2 nonimmigrant visas if the Government 
of Portugal provides similar nonimmigrant status for U.S. nationals, 
legislation which passed the House without opposition in December of 
last year.
  Access to these investor visas will allow Portuguese investors to 
support projects in the U.S., benefiting our economy as well as that of 
Portugal.
  As one of the first countries to recognize the United States after 
the Revolutionary War, Portugal is one of our closest economic partners 
and strongest allies.
  Today, the United States maintains that longstanding relationship as 
the fifth largest export market for Portugal, and its largest trading 
partner outside the European Union.
  The AMIGOS Act will strengthen this trade partnership and strengthen 
ties with our longtime NATO ally, Portugal.
  I would like to acknowledge Congressman Bill Keating and Congressman 
Devin Nunes for their support of this provision, and the instrumental 
role they played in securing its inclusion in this year's NDAA during 
the House Armed Services Committee markup.
  I would, once again, like to thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member 
Thornberry for supporting these provisions, and for their work on this 
year's National Defense Authorization.

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