WASHINGTON, D.C. - For nearly 60 years, lawmakers in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle have affirmed their bipartisan commitment to providing for our common defense.
Through passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the House recently and swift consideration expected in the Senate, I am proud that lawmakers are once again coming together to authorize funding for the programs and resources needed to keep our nation safe while advocating for and supporting the individuals who make every mission possible.
Getting to this point was more challenging than it has been in past years. While writing such a comprehensive piece of legislation is always a massive undertaking, the versions passed by the House and Senate some months back were drastically different. Following outrageous reports of families suffering from poor conditions in privatized on-base military housing, I am relieved that the conference report takes strong action to protect tenants and prevent contractor mismanagement in the future.
This includes reforms to the Privatized Military Housing Initiative and a new Tenant Bill of Rights. Unfortunately, many families at Tinker Air Force Base in the Fourth District of Oklahoma are all too familiar with Balfour Beatty’s mismanagement, which has resulted in unsafe and unhealthy conditions in numerous housing units built by the contractor. While I am encouraged that changes are being made to keep existing and future contractors accountable to their job of responsibly overseeing housing properties, it is unacceptable that many military families were victims due to negligence and neglect.
I will continue to monitor the situation to ensure problems are resolved, conditions are improved and remain that way. As the Department of Defense (DOD) undergoes comprehensive reform of the existing military health care system (TRICARE), the NDAA conference report demands DOD complete its internal review of medical treatment facilities and provide its overdue assessment to Congress. In the meantime, the NDAA prohibits DOD from making any reductions, closures or changes to medical facilities and personnel that could limit access to care for service members, families and retirees.
Certainly, Congress took a vital step toward delivering on the resources, reforms and benefits contained in the NDAA conference report. However, even after the Senate passes the report and the president signs it into law, half the job remains. To actually fund the critical programs and policies outlined in the NDAA, lawmakers must also come together to pass the defense appropriations bill for fiscal year 2020. Considering the progress made recently on full-year funding bills for the government, I am hopeful that we will soon be able to do just that.