[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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