(Washington, DC) – Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) voted in favor of the conference report to S. 1790, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (NDAA) to fund the U.S. Department of Defense and related expenditures. 

“I am pleased to see the NDAA pass the House today with bipartisan support and with the inclusion of important provisions that are long overdue for our defense.  The “Widow’s Tax,” a tax on the benefits of surviving partners of deceased veterans which impacts more than 65,000 individuals at an average cost of $11,000 per year, has finally been removed,” said Congresswoman Fletcher.  “The families of our servicemembers already sacrifice so much for our country.  I am proud that Congress has finally dealt with the decades old injustice of this regressive tax.”

“The bill also includes provisions dealing with dangerous PFAS chemicals.  This NDAA instructs the Department of Defense to limit the use of PFAS-containing firefighting foams, with their complete phaseout by 2024.  Earlier this year, I introduced similar legislation requiring the Environmental Protection Agency to issue guidance on foams in non-defense applications. Finally, the bill also includes requirements for all departments to provide paid parental leave for all federal employees.”

The conference report is the product of months of bipartisan negotiations that sets a topline discretionary budget of $738 billion, consistent with the bipartisan budget agreement earlier this year.  The NDAA is one of the most important funding bills in Congress, one that has not lapsed even when the government has been shut down.  The 2020 report is the 59^th consecutive report to pass.