Press Release

Congressman Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-07) voted today for the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed the House of Representatives in a strong bipartisan vote. The NDAA provides the annual budget for the Department of Defense (DOD).

"I'm proud to vote to provide a much-needed pay increase for our brave servicemembers while also funding a strong and smart national security strategy that advances American leadership throughout the world," said Rep. Bera, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation. "Supporting our servicemembers and funding our national defense should always be a bipartisan priority, and I'm glad to see today's vote reflect this."

This year's NDAA provides a three percent pay raise for servicemembers and creates a $1 billion Pandemic Preparedness and Resilience National Security Fund to proactively increase our country's ability to be prepared for future pandemics.

Included in the bill are four provisions introduced by Rep. Bera, including a provision directing the DOD to conduct a study identifying the financial hardships experienced by servicemembers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Just as American families across the country have experienced the devastating economic toil of the coronavirus, so too have our men and women in uniform," said Rep. Bera. "Many of our servicemembers have experienced financial hardships due to a loss of spousal income, loss of drill and exercise pay, and cancelled deployments. I am proud that my amendment was included in the NDAA, which explores the best ways to get assistance to members of our Armed Forces impacted by this pandemic and future economic disruptions."

Additional Bera provisions are aimed at strengthening U.S. capacity to prevent and respond to biological threats and developing staffing recommendations for antimicrobial stewardship programs at DOD medical treatment facilities.