Strengthening America’s national security is - and always will be - one of my top priorities. Ensuring our servicemembers have the tools and resources they need to defend our country is critical.

For decades, Republicans and Democrats have put politics to the side when it comes to passing the National Defense Authorization Act, which is an annual bill to authorize programs for our military. But that changed today as House leadership chose to prioritize politics over our national security.

Instead of working across the aisle, they passed a partisan version of this legislation that fails to strengthen our national security, including by blocking efforts to secure our border for purely political reasons. All the while, they rejected efforts to improve the bill by increasing troop pay and providing additional support to improve our military readiness.

While the way this transpired was incredibly disappointing, the bill does include a number of important provisions I have been sponsoring and working on. These are all good bills that will make a real difference by:

• Helping the over 140,000 servicemembers and veterans who have reported exposure to burn pits and toxic airborne chemicals over the past three decades
• Eliminating the statute of limitations under the military code for maiming and kidnapping of a child
• Expanding service eligibility waivers to reserve physicians or reserve chaplains beyond the age of 68 - an option that is already available to active-duty servicemembers
• Granting access of military rental property to Foreign Service Officers who temporarily lose housing allowance while on mandatory Home Leave Status

Our brothers and sisters in arms should be able to serve our country knowing that we have their backs on and off the battlefield. So, even though the overall bill is not sufficient, I’m excited to have these priorities pass the House!

Watch now to learn more about these provisions and the National Defense Authorization Act.