WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, voted to pass the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. The bipartisan legislation includes a provision authored by Senators Tillis and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) that directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a plan to Congress to remove the Government of Turkey from participation in the F-35 program. The legislation also includes several key provisions championed by Senator Tillis to improve the lives of our servicemembers and military families, make critical improvements to North Carolina’s military installations, and provide the largest pay raise for servicemembers in nine years.

The Tillis-Shaheen provision is a direct response to the Turkish government’s wrongful imprisonment of Pastor Andrew Brunson, and Turkey’s troubling intention to purchase the S-400 system from Russia. The provision explicitly states that Congress finds that the Turkish government wrongfully detaining Andrew Brunson, and is denying him due process rights consistent with international norms. 

As Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, Senator Tillis chaired an open hearing on the markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. On a bipartisan basis, Senator Tillis and his subcommittee colleagues passed an across the board 2.6% pay raise, for our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines. Additionally, Senator Tillis worked in a bipartisan basis to secure a number of reforms in the FY19 NDAA to decades-old reforms to how the United States military manages, trains, retains, and recruits its officer corps. Senator Tillis’ Personnel Subcommittee markup addresses the opioid crisis, provides impact aid for local educational agencies, supports military spouses, and establishes policies and procedures to end juvenile sexual assault and harassment, domestic violence, and child abuse.

“This NDAA is a testament to our commitment to rebuild the military and ensure our men and women in uniform have the resources and support they need to protect our nation,” said Senator Tillis. “I am pleased my bipartisan provision with Senator Shaheen to delay the sale of F-35s to Turkey was included so we can send a clear message to President Erdogan that the United States expects Turkey to uphold its obligations as a NATO ally, including respecting the due process rights of American citizens who reside in or travel to Turkey.”

“I’m also pleased the NDAA includes $260 million to upgrade North Carolina’s military installations and a number of provisions I championed to modernize the management of officers and establish policies and procedures to end juvenile sexual assault and harassment, domestic violence, and child abuse. This bipartisan legislation is a win for our men and women in uniform in North Carolina and across the country,” continued Senator Tillis. “I want to thank my colleagues in the Senate for this bipartisan effort and look forward to a quick resolution with the House so we can send this legislation to the president’s desk to be signed into law.”

A summary of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 is available here.

Senator Tillis’ Priorities in the NDAA:

• Delaying Transfer of F-35s to Turkey
  • Directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a plan to Congress to remove the Government of Turkey from participation in the F-35 program. This provision is a direct response to the Turkish government’s wrongful imprisonment of Pastor Andrew Brunson, and Turkey’s troubling intention to purchase the S-400 system from Russia.
• Defense Officer Personnel Management Act (DOPMA) Reform
  • Introduces the most comprehensive reform of the Defense Officer Personnel Management Act since its inception in 1980, which includes key provisions to better align officer management with the objectives included in the National Defense Strategy. These provisions will modernize DOPMA to provide the services with the authority and flexibility to better recruit, support, and retain officers.
• Addressing Opioid Abuse
  • Establish a 3-year comprehensive pilot program to minimize early opioid exposure and to prevent opioid misuse and abuse. This program will maximize opioid safety across the entire continuum of care and seeks to prevent the progression to misuse or abuse of opioid medications.
• Impact Aid
  • Authorizes $40 million in supplemental impact aid to local educational agencies with military dependent children and $10 million in impact aid for schools with military dependent children with severe disabilities.
• Juvenile Sexual Assault and Harassment
  • Requires the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) to establish policies and procedures to protect students at DODEA schools who are victims of sexual harassment. 
• Domestic Violence and Child Abuse
  • Includes provisions from S. 2846, the Military Family PROTECT Act, bipartisan legislation co-introduced by Senators Gillibrand and Tillis that would establish multidisciplinary teams for military installations on child abuse and domestic violence.
  • Authorizes a pilot program on prevention of child abuse and training on safe childcare practices among military families.
  • Establishes a new punitive article in the Uniform Code of Military Justice prohibiting domestic violence.
• Military Spouses
  • Expands authority for non-competitive appointments of military spouses by federal agencies.

FY19 Military Construction Funding for North Carolina:

• Fort Bragg
  • $20.257M – Special Operations Facility; Search Evade Rescue and Evacuation (SERE) Resistance Training Lab Complex
  • $12.109M – Special Operations Facility; Replace Training Maze and Tower
  • $10.0M – Dining Facility
• Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station
  • $106.86M – Flightline Utility Modernization – Maintenance upgrades to runways in support of Marine Corps and national security requirements
  • $27M - Aircraft Maintenance Hanger for the Vertical Lift Fan Test Facility
• Camp Lejeune
  • $51.3M – 2^nd Radio BN Complex, Phase 2
• New River
  • $32.58M - Ambulatory Care Center/Dental Clinic Replacement

North Carolina Total Funding:

• $260,106,000

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