U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), applauded today’s Senate passage of the nation’s annual defense bill, which includes top priorities for Virginia, as well as a number of measures championed by Sen. Warner. 

“I’m pleased to see the Senate move forward on a defense bill that provides our military and Department of Defense with the resources needed to preserve our national security. This legislation includes critical measures to improve quality-of-life for servicemembers, advance critical military construction projects, strengthen Virginia’s shipbuilding industry, and support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression,” said Sen. Warner. “I was proud to vote in favor of this legislation and hope that my colleagues in the House of Representatives will work in good faith to reach a final compromise between the two chambers.” 

The legislation supports $886.3 billion in funding for our nation’s defense, and includes crucial measures supported by Sen. Warner.

Servicemembers and the civilian defense workforce:

• Authorizes a 5.2 percent pay raise for military servicemembers and Department of Defense (DoD) civilian workforce.
• Improves living conditions for enlisted servicemembers by greenlighting improvements to the quality and oversight of barracks. This provision specifically authorizes the replacement of substandard barracks and establishes new requirements that enlisted housing meet the same basic standards as all other military housing.
• Improves living conditions for junior Navy Sailors whose vessels are undergoing an extended maintenance overhaul. This legislation authorizes basic allowance for housing (BAH) payments that allow these servicemembers to live in commercial housing, rather than aboard the ship.
• Supports more equitable housing rates in markets with limited housing inventory by modifying the calculation of basic allowance for housing (BAH) rates.
• Allows for additional financial support for servicemembers, by reducing the threshold used to determine high cost-of-living areas for the purpose of providing a cost-of-living allowance to servicemembers assigned to locations in the continental United States.
• Requires a pilot program to assess the effectiveness of increased compensation for DoD childcare employees, in improving the ability to recruit and retain providers. To help address the overwhelming demand for childcare, last year Sen. Warner was able to secure $3.5 million in planning & design funding to support two new child development centers at Hampton Roads installations. This year’s Senate-passed NDAA would authorize $78 million in construction funding for additional facilities.
• Encourages a comprehensive review of the Navy’s efforts to prevent and respond to incidents of death by suicide, suicide attempts, and suicidal ideation in commands and organizations within the Navy that have not been reviewed by other studies.

Strengthening our nation’s defense and cyber defense capabilities:

• Authorizes $16.7 billion for military construction projects, including $625 million for 19 military construction projects in Virginia.
• Authorizes the Navy to enter into one or more contracts for the multiyear procurement of the next block of 10 Virginia-class submarines.
• Directs the Navy to schedule maintenance and repair activities for amphibious ships in order to ensure that 24 such warships are available for worldwide deployment at any given time.
• Requires the development of a regional cybersecurity strategy to support the operations of each geographic combatant command.
• Requires the establishment of a dedicated cyber intelligence capability to support information-sharing on technology developments, capabilities, operations, and intentions of actors who pose cyber threats.
• Directs DoD to support institutions of higher education on cyber workforce education and development efforts in the fields of cybersecurity, intelligence, data science, information security management, and quantum information science.
• Increases transparency surrounding the DoD’s investments in Artificial Intelligence by requiring DoD to provide an annual report to Congress detailing the categories of AI technologies and their respective investment amounts, and an analysis of how these investments support broader AI direction and strategies at the Department. This provision stems from an amendment by Sen. Warner.
• Strengthens the security of U.S. elections infrastructure by requiring that voting systems undergo simulated attacks as part of their standard certification process. This provision, written by Warner, would direct the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to require that systems seeking certification undergo penetration testing, a practice that allows researchers to search for vulnerabilities by attempting to attack a system with the same tools and techniques used by cybercriminals.

Countering aggression by adversaries like Russia and China:

• Prohibits the purchase of drones from countries like China that pose a national security threat. This provision, championed in part by Warner, prohibits federal dollars from being used to procure commercial off-the-shelf drone or covered unmanned aircraft systems from countries identified as posing a national security threat. 
• Authorizes the full budget request for the European Deterrence Initiative (EDI) and the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI).
• Establishes the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative, a defense initiative with allies and partners of the United States, including Australia, Japan, and India.
• Underscores the United States’ commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and emphasizes the importance of maintaining a unified response to the Russian Federation’s unjust war in Ukraine. Sen. Warner has been a strong supporter of NATO, which conducts crucial work in Virginia at NATO Allied Command Transformation in Hampton Roads.
• Supports Ukraine in its fight against Russian attacks and aggression byextending the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) through fiscal year 2027 and authorizing the full budget request of $300 million in fiscal year 2024.The USAI is one of the main tools used by the U.S. in support of Ukraine’s defensive needs. This legislation also extends waivers for the streamlined acquisition of defense stocks related to Ukraine and authorizes additional munitions eligible for multiyear procurement contracts.
• Limits or prohibits Department of Defense funding for institutions or researchers that contract with Chinese or Russian institutions that engage in intellectual property theft or are linked to the Chinese or Russian military, or intelligence services.
• Provides support to Taiwan by establishing a comprehensive training, advising, and institutional capacity-building program for the military forces of Taiwan.

Now that both the Senate and the House of Representatives have passed their versions of the annual defense bill, negotiators from both chambers will have to participate in a conference process to negotiate a final bill to send to the President’s desk.  

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CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD BROADCAST-QUALITY VIDEO OF SEN. WARNER SPEAKING ON THE FLOOR 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement after the Senate voted to repeal the 1991 and 2002 authorizations for use of military force (AUMFs) against Iraq:

“It’s long past time that Congress re-assert its authority to responsibly wield the power to declare war, and I’m proud to support repealing the outdated authorizations for use of military force against Iraq.

“That we have reached this moment at all is thanks largely to the determined leadership of my friend and colleague Tim Kaine. Over years of steady, relentless focus, he has been a consistent and, at times lonely, voice of clarity calling for Congress to pay attention to its constitutional prerogatives, and through will and hard work, he and Sen. Young have corralled the bipartisan coalition that made today’s vote possible. Tim’s staunch stewardship of this legislation is a credit to his unwavering commitment to our troops and honoring the many sacrifices we ask of them in defense of our freedoms.”

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, today applauded Senate passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the country’s annual defense bill.

“As the Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, I am keenly aware of the importance of the National Defense Authorization Act. I’m proud to have voted to pass legislation that will boost our national security by providing support for our servicemembers and their families, investing in projects that increase military readiness, and supporting critical jobs in Virginia while reinforcing our commitment to Ukraine’s fight against authoritarian brutality. I look forward to President Biden signing this legislation quickly,” said Sen. Warner.

The package provides $857.9 billion in funding for our nation’s defense, and includes a number of Warner-championed provisions that would:

• Help provide better housing support for servicemembers and their families. These provisions direct DoD to reevaluate methodologies for calculating the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) to better reflect servicemembers’ housing needs, and look at barriers to home ownership that are unique to members of the military. These provisions are based on two Warner-sponsored bills, the BAH Calculation Improvement Act and the Increasing Home Ownership for Servicemembers Act.

• Authorize more than $285 million in funding for 14 military construction projects in Virginia, including in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Dahlgren, Newport News, Ft. Belvoir, Langley, and at the Pentagon:
  • $125 million for Submarine Pier 3 at Naval Station Norfolk.
  • $47.72 million for a Dry Dock Saltwater System for CVN-78 at Norfolk Naval Shipyard.
  • $26.6 million for a SOF (Special Forces) operations building addition at Dam Neck.
  • $19 million for a primary distribution substation at Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads.
  • $18 million for a commercial vehicle inspection facility at the Pentagon.
  • $16.86 million for submarine logistics support facilities at Naval Station Norfolk.
  • $10.5 million for Langley AFB for Air Force Reserve construction and land acquisition projects.
  • $10.4 million for G/ATOR (Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar) support facilities at Dam Neck.
  • $10 million to support research and development of advanced fuels to support future DOD energy requirements. This development would happen at BWXT in Lynchburg, cementing Lynchburg’s leadership as a center for innovation.
  • $3.4 million for backup power generation at Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads.
  • $2.5 million for electrical substation upgrades at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division.
  • $2.3 million for Child Development Center planning and development at Naval Station Norfolk.
  • $1.23 million for Weapons Integration and Test Campus planning and development at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division.
  • $1.1 million for a secondary cooling system at NCE Springfield at Fort Belvoir.

• Accelerate the construction of two new Child Development Centers in Hampton Roads to help provide critical child care for infants and children on installations. This provision mirrors a Congressionally Directed Spending request made by Sen. Warner to help address the larger challenges military families face with the supply of available child care.

• Accelerate the construction of two new Child Development Centers in Hampton Roads to help provide critical child care for infants and children on installations. This provision mirrors a Congressionally Directed Spending request made by Sen. Warner to help address the larger challenges military families face with the supply of available child care.

• Overhaul how the military understands and studies food insecurity among members of in the military. The provision – based on an amendment led in the Senate by Sen. Warner – will improve how the military collects data and analyzes rates of food insecurity among servicemembers and their families, to better measure and more effectively address the concerning issue of food insecurity in the military.

• Support the critical work of the U.S. Intelligence Community by including the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (IAA). The IAA allocates funding, provides legal authorities, and enhances congressional oversight of the Intelligence Community.

• Bring federal data collection into the 21^st century and boost financial transparency by modernizing data collection by the federal financial regulators. This provision is based on Sen. Warner’s Financial Data Transparency Act, which requires these regulators to develop common data formatting standards that promote the usability and organization of financial data they already collect from regulated institutions – rules that will make data easier for the public to use and for agencies to process.

The bill also includes a number of other crucial measures supported by Sen. Warner.

To support investments in our nation’s defense and diplomatic capabilities, this bill would:

• Support Navy shipbuilding with $32.6 billion in funding for the procurement of 11 battle force ships, including full funding for the Columbia-class submarine program and for the procurement of two Virginia-class submarines. The bill also would reverse plans for the early retirement of 12 vessels in the coming year. The legislation also guarantees a minimum of 31 operational amphibious warfare ships for the Navy and Marine Corps.

• Support the critical work of the U.S. State Department by advancing funding and a range of provisions vital to supporting our nation’s diplomatic efforts the men and women who work tirelessly to advance those around the world.

• Support the work of the U.S. Coast Guard with more than $28 billion in funding.

• Authorize nearly $132 million for defense research activities at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other Minority Serving Institutions. Last year, Sen. Warner successfully led an effort in the NDAA to better position HBCUs and MSIs to compete for federal research dollars.

For members of the military and their families, this bill would:

• Authorize a 4.6 percent pay raise to servicemembers and Department of Defense (DoD) civilians.

• Take steps to address the suicide and mental health crisis in the military by directing DoD to undertake more detailed research into mental health and rates of suicide. This provision seeks to provide a better understanding of the different ramifications across military career fields. It also directs an Inspector General review of efforts by the Navy to prevent and respond to suicides in light of deaths in the Hampton Roads region and elsewhere.

• Make historic reforms to the military justice system’s handling of certain offenses, including sexual assaults. Following years of tireless effort by advocates, this bill would remove commanders from all prosecutorial and judicial functions for a range of covered offenses. Sen. Warner is a proud sponsor of Sen. Gillibrand’s Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act of 2021, which, combined with bipartisan efforts across both Chambers this year, formed the foundation for these reforms.

• Tackle issues with military housing by:
  • Extending DoD’s authority to raise the Basic Allowance for Housing for military families living in higher-cost areas of the country.
  • Improving oversight over military housing issues and codifying the position of Chief Housing Officer. Sen. Warner has pushed to have a single, designated lead for housing at DoD to improve accountability to residents as well as Congress, and to promote and increase coordination.
  • Requiring the Secretary of Defense to implement health-related recommendations made by the Department’s Inspector General related to privatized military housing.

• Tackle food insecurity by:
  • Expanding eligibility for the Basic Needs Allowance to help ensure that all men and women in uniform and their families have the basic necessities they need. The Basic Needs Allowance was created through the Warner-sponsored Military Hunger Prevention Act, and is aimed at combating disturbing rates of food insecurity in the military.
  • Creating a pilot program to better address rates of food insecurity among veterans. This provision would offer grant funding to organizations that are actively working to address this challenge.
  • Adding $210 million in authorized funding for the military’s commissary system to help support food access for servicemembers and their families.

• Increase access to timely child care for military families who undergo a permanent change of station by creating a pilot program to provide child care-related reimbursement to these families.

For the ongoing effort to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s authoritarianism, this bill would:

• Extend the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) – one of the main tools used by the U.S. in support of Ukraine’s defensive needs – and authorize $800 million for this program in the coming fiscal year.
• Authorize more than $6 billion to fully fund the European Deterrence Initiative.
• Hold Russia accountable for its atrocities by stating that the United States will collect, analyze, and preserve evidence related to Russian war crimes, and will assist in pursuing appropriate accountability for those responsible.

• Increase transparency and accountability by taking steps to ensure that Inspectors General are able to adequately conduct oversight of U.S. funding to ensure it is most effectively being applied in support of Ukraine’s efforts.
• Express the full commitment of the United States to NATO and to continuing Ukrainian assistance during Russia’s violent and illegal invasion.
• Authorize more than $2.7 billion for munitions production capacity, and direct an assessment of our defense industrial base’s capacity long-term.

To bolster our ability to compete in the 21^st century, this bill would:

• Continue to strengthen U.S.-India relations by directing the Departments of Defense and State to pursue greater engagement and expanded cooperation with India related to emerging technology, joint R&D, defense and cyber capabilities, and other opportunities for collaboration – including for reducing India’s reliance on Russian-built defense equipment. These provisions support an effort by Sen. Warner, co-Chair of the Senate India Caucus, to highlight the importance of our defense partnership with India, and to support accelerated efforts by India to diversify defense systems.

• Better invest in emerging technologies by boosting funding for basic and applied research and development of advanced tech by $2.85 billion including the allocation of funding for research at Virginia-based institutions Virginia Tech and Virginia Commonwealth University.

• Support the commercialization of critical capabilities by authorizing $300 million in funding for new bio-manufacturing facilities.
• Authorize an increase of $120 million for 5G technology R&D and transition support.

• Authorize an increase of $75 million for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as it looks to implement recommendations put forward by the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (AI). It would also authorize an increase of $50 million for AI at U.S. Cyber Command, and require more strategic, longer-term planning related to DoD’s efforts to rapidly adopt AI to relevant cyber missions.
• Support DARPA’s quantum computing activities with an increase of $20 million.
• Increase productivity and cooperation in microelectronics by establishing a working group of government, private sector, and academia experts to better enable coordination and consultation related to R&D and manufacturing.
• Support technology improvements and advancements in our military by requiring the DoD to report transition plans for 5-G communications infrastructure at all military installations as well as establish a consortium specifically for the purpose of studying cybersecurity problems within the DoD.  

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WASHINGTON — Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement regarding the Naming Commission’s recommendations to rename three Virginia bases that were previously named after Confederates. Kaine co-sponsored an amendment in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act that initiated the process to rename these bases and all other DOD facilities named after Confederates.

“If we as a country hope to overcome the racial injustices that continue to surround us today, we simply cannot continue to honor those who fought against the United States to deprive African Americans of their equality. While much work remains ahead to deliver on America’s promise of liberty and justice for all, days like today are proof that progress is possible, and we’re going to keep fighting to build on it.”

Now that the Commission has shared these name recommendations with Congress, the U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will consider the Commission’s recommendations before reaching a decision with President Biden regarding whether to adopt them.

The Naming Commission’s recommendations are to rename Fort A.P. Hill as Fort Walker, in honor of Dr. Mary Edwards Walker; Fort Lee as Fort Gregg-Adams, in honor of Arthur Gregg and Charity Adams; and Fort Pickett as Fort Barfoot, in honor of Van T. Barfoot. More information regarding Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, Arthur Gregg, Charity Adams, and Van T. Barfoot are available here, here, and here.

Warner is a cosponsor of the Confederate Monument Removal Act, which would remove statues of individuals who voluntarily served the Confederate States of America from display in National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. He has also spoken publicly about the need to remove public symbols honoring the Confederacy as part of broader efforts to advance racial justice.

WASHINGTON – Following a recent $65 million settlement between the U.S. government and Balfour Beatty Communities (BBC) LLC, a privatized military housing provider that pled guilty to fraudulent business practices, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined 16 Democratic Senators in a new oversight effort to protect the nation’s servicemembers from unsanitary, unsafe living conditions at military base housing operated by BBC, as well as by other privatized housing companies. 

In a letter to the Department of Defense, the Senators requested information regarding the management and oversight of long-term military housing contracts following the guilty plea by Balfour Beatty Communities LLC, which continues to operate military housing communities at 55 military installations across the country, including in Virginia – at Fort Eustis and Fort Story. Many of these management contracts have several decades remaining.

“Given that BBC continues to manage housing communities at 55 installations across the nation and has several decades left on their long-term contracts, we ask the following questions about how this settlement will affect the management of these properties and how DoD plans to ensure quality housing for military families moving forward,” the Senators wrote.

The letter inquires as to whether DoD plans to renegotiate or alter any of the existing terms of long-term contracts with private housing contractors to provide for more immediate and comprehensive oversight for military housing.

Sen. Warner has fiercely advocated for and secured a number of reforms to the privatized military housing system over the years, in response to the well-documented health hazards in military homes across the country. As noted in the letter, he successfully secured large portions of his military housing legislation, the Ensuring Safe Housing for our Military Act, in the FY20 annual defense bill, and subsequently passed provisions in the FY21 defense bill to improve military housing metrics. Most recently, Sen. Warner supported the passage of the FY22 annual defense bill, which included increased accountability measures around military housing, by requiring the Secretaries of the military departments to ensure that personnel performance evaluations assess the extent to which certain military officers have exercised effective oversight and leadership of military privatized housing.

Joining Sen. Warner were 16 Senators including: U.S. Sens. Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Jack Reed (D-RI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH).

A copy of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary Austin,

We write regarding current Department of Defense (DoD) oversight of private housing contractors in the wake of the recent Department of Justice (DoJ) settlement with Balfour Beatty Communities LLC.

On December 22, 2021, the Department of Justice announced that the housing contractor Balfour Beatty Communities LLC (BBC) pleaded guilty to major fraud against the U.S. government and agreed to pay $65 million in fines and restitution. Following national publicity of pervasive concerns with privatized on-post military housing in 2018, the Department of Defense took steps to hold housing contractors to account for their failures to maintain adequate housing conditions for military families and to communicate with servicemembers and their families their rights. Congress also endeavored to improve military housing with the “Ensuring Safe Housing for our Military Act” as part of the Fiscal Year 2020 Defense Authorization Act. Despite these efforts, concerns persist, and bases and families continue to file lawsuits against the companies, including BBC, for many issues, including for repair delays, toxic mold, pests, unsealed windows and doors, and gas leaks.  We cannot expect our nation’s military families to suffer these conditions.    

In the DoJ release concerning the BBC plea and settlement, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said, “Instead of promptly repairing housing for U.S. servicemembers as required, BBC lied about the repairs to pocket millions of dollars in performance bonuses. This pervasive fraud was a consequence of BBC’s broken corporate culture, which valued profit over the welfare of servicemembers.” According to the release, for over six years, BBC employees falsified information to allow BBC to claim incentive fees for performance objectives primarily related to housing upkeep and resident satisfaction that had, in fact, not been met. These actions resulted in maintenance delays and an inability of the military services to accurately conduct oversight of the company and correct performance.

Given that BBC continues to manage housing communities at 55 installations across the nation and has several decades left on their long-term contracts, we ask the following questions about how this settlement will affect the management of these properties and how DoD plans to ensure quality housing for military families moving forward.

• How will the December 2021 Department of Justice settlement with BBC affect the company’s current contracts with the Department of Defense?
• According to the Department of Justice release, the settlement with BBC includes three years of probation and engagement with an independent compliance monitor. What does this mean for BBC’s current contracts at 55 installations? 
• What mechanisms are in place to ensure similar fraudulent behavior will not happen again?
• Does the Department of Defense plan to renegotiate or alter any of the existing terms of long-term contracts with private housing contractors to provide for more immediate and comprehensive oversight?
• How does the Department of Defense plan to instill trust in military families that BBC and others will meet their housing needs?
• What actions will the Department take to ensure BBC and other privatized housing companies are providing a sufficient quantity of quality housing for military families at bases where there is a serious need for additional housing? Has the Department considered increasing competition by allowing multiple companies to operate on bases, or by other means, to improve the availability and quality of housing for military families?

Thank you for your urgent attention to this critical issue. Our nation’s servicemembers and military families deserve to live in quality housing and trust that the U.S. government and private contractors will be responsive, respectful, and committed to meeting their needs.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) joined U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, in a letter with 64 colleagues pushing committee leadership to keep the Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act (MJIIPA) in the final NDAA bill language. The bipartisan and bicameral letter is signed by 44 senators and 22 members of the House. MJIIPA would professionalize how the military prosecutes serious crimes by moving the decision over whether to prosecute them to independent, experienced military prosecutors, and was successfully included in the committee-passed Senate National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022. MJIIPA currently has 66 Senate co-sponsors and the House companion legislation has 220 co-sponsors, representing a majority of the House.

“It is outrageous that the Senate and House Armed Services Committees would even consider stripping out a provision that is backed by a bipartisan majority in both chambers and has been included in the Senate version of the bill. Sexual assault in the military is a serious concern and demands a real solution, not a watered-down provision slipped in the final bill behind closed doors. Retaining the full Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act provision will ensure that the will of this strong majority is respected. It is the only reform that will provide true independence for prosecutors in the military justice system and is essential to ensure that victims, accused, and the public all have full faith and confidence in the military justice process.” – said Senator Gillibrand.

In addition to the bill’s widespread congressional support, veterans service groups are also applying pressure to congressional leadership. On November 23, coalition of veterans groups—including the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, AMVETS, Student Veterans of America, the Service Women Action Network and Vietnam Veterans of America— wrote a letter to congressional leaders pushing them not to remove or water down military sexual assault reform provisions in the final NDAA. The American Legion sent a similar letter on November 29.

Furthermore, earlier this month, 29 state attorneys general, led by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, penned a letter to congressional leadership urging Congress to swiftly pass Senator Gillibrand’s widely supported MJIIPA. 

In addition to Sens. Warner and Gillibrand, the signers include Senators Baldwin (D-WI), Bennet (D-CO), Blumenthal (D-CT), Booker (D-NJ), Brown (D-OH), Cardin (D-MD), Carper (D-DE), Casey (D-PA), Coons (D-DE), Cortez Masto (D-NV), Cruz (R-TX), Duckworth (D-IL), Durbin (D-IL), Ernst (R-IA), Feinstein (D-CA), Grassley (R-IA), Hawley (R-MO), Hassan (D-NH), Heinrich (D-NM), Hickenlooper (D-CO), Hirono (D-HI), Kaine (D-VA), Klobuchar (D-MN), Leahy (D-VT), Lujan (D-NM), Markey (D-MA), Marshall (R-KS), Menendez (D-NJ), Merkley (D-OR), Murphy (D-CT), Murray (D-WA), Padilla (D-CA), Sanders (I-VT), Schatz (D-HI), Shaheen (D-NH), T. Smith (D-MN), Stabenow (D-MI), Tuberville (R-AL), Van Hollen (D-MD), Warnock (D-GA), Warren (D-MA), and Wyden (D-OR).

Members of the House include Representatives Adams (D-NC), Bass (D-CA), Brown (D-MD), Carson (D-IN), Davis (D-IL), Escobar (D-TX), Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Garamendi (D-CA), Hayes (D-CT), Horsford (D-NV), Hudson (R-NC), Johnson (D-GA), Khanna (D-CA), Lee (D-CA), McBath (D-GA), Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Mullins (R-OK), Norton, (D-DC), Speier (D-CA), Turner (R-OH), Veasey (D-TX) and Williams (D-GA).

For the full letter, please click here.

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WASHINGTON —Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Ben Cardin (D-MD), introduced the Enhancing Military Base Resilience and Conserving Ecosystems through Stormwater Management (EMBRACE) Act, legislation to authorize the Department of Defense (DOD) to carry out stormwater management projects at military installations to improve resilience at the facilities while protecting waterways and stormwater impacted ecosystems, such as those that feed into the Chesapeake Bay. Senator Kaine is pushing to include the legislation in the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) this year.

“Sea level rise, flooding, and stormwater pollution threatens not only our environment and economy, but our military readiness too,” said Senator Kaine. “I’m proud to introduce the EMBRACE Act, legislation to help our Armed Forces protect our military bases and environment from the effects of climate change. This is a collaborative approach to defend our nation, improve our waterways, and preserve our environment for generations to come.”

“Military bases across the Commonwealth are at risk of flooding due to climate change. The EMBRACE Act will allow for projects to reinforce these bases while protecting our waterways and the Chesapeake Bay. These projects are crucial to keeping our military facilities operational and ready,” said Senator Warner.

“The impacts of the climate crisis – from flooding to natural disasters – increasingly threaten Maryland communities, including our military installations. We need all hands on deck to respond, which is why our legislation authorizes the Department of Defense to help reduce stormwater runoff that threatens access to clean water and the health of the Chesapeake Bay. This common-sense bill will support our efforts to protect both civilian and military communities, while also supporting a clean and healthy Bay,” said Senator Van Hollen.

“Climate change, including more extreme weather and flooding events that increase stormwater runoff, has significant implications for U.S. national security and defense. This legislation bolsters the work of the Department of Defense – a federal agency partner of the Chesapeake Bay Program restoration effort – to reduce runoff and improve water quality by implementing stormwater management practices at military installations,” said Senator Cardin.

Stormwater remains the only pollutant in the Chesapeake Bay watershed that continues to increase. Climate related impacts, such as increased rainfall intensity, only exacerbate this problem. As the second largest federal landholder in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, DOD plays a vital role in reducing stormwater loads and enhancing climate resiliency.

Specifically, the EMBRACE Act would:

• Make stormwater management projects eligible for federal funding under either military construction projects, military installation resilience projects, unspecified minor military construction projects, defense access roads projects, the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP), and Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program (ERCIP).
• Instructs DOD to prioritize projects that retrofit buildings and grounds on bases and improve access to roads prone to flooding.
• Supports the building of stormwater ponds and other retention strategies.
• Supports replacing impermeable paving that lets water run off with materials that let water seep into the soil, allowing projects such as rain gardens, cisterns, and planters to be eligible for funds. 

Climate change has put numerous Virginia and Maryland military bases at increased risk of flooding, including Naval Station Norfolk, Naval Air Station Oceana, Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads, Langley Air Force Base, Naval Support Activity Annapolis, Naval Support Activity Bethesda, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Joint Base Andrews, and Naval Support Activity South Potomac.

The EMBRACE Act is endorsed by The Chesapeake Bay Commission, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Chesapeake Conservancy, Choose Clean Water Coalition, American Flood Coalition Action, the Nature Conservancy, Southern Environmental Law Center, and Wetlands Watch.

In the U.S. House of Representatives, Representatives Bobby Scott (VA-03), Rob Wittman (VA-01), and Elaine Luria (VA-02) introduced companion legislation in September. The bill also passed as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 in September in the House of Representatives.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Mark R. Warner, Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), cosponsored a bipartisan bill to award a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal to the 13 American servicemembers who lost their lives during the terrorist attack in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 26^th . The bicameral legislation was first introduced by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Steve Daines (R-MT), and Congresswoman Lisa McClain (R-MI-10) introduced a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the 13 servicemembers who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the last days of the war in Afghanistan,” said Senators Warner and Kaine. “We must never forget their bravery. Honoring them with the Congressional Gold Medal is one way to remember their heroic service to our nation.”

Senators Warner and Kaine are pushing for Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, Cpl. Hunter Lopez, Cpl. Daegan W. Page, Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak and Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss to receive the Congressional Gold Medal.

Along with Warner and Kaine, the bill is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Rick Scott (R-FL), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD),  Mitt Romney (R-UT), Ben Cardin (D-MD), James Lankford (R-OK), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Tina Smith (D-MN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Jim Risch (R-ID), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH),  Roger Marshall (R-KS), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Todd Young (R-IN), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Mike Crapo (R-ID), John Hoeven (R-ND), and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY).

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) issued the following statement after joining as an original cosponsor of the Military Justice Improvement and Prevention Act, legislation that would take much-needed steps to tackle sexual assault in the military:

“Today, too many service members are raped and sexually assaulted by their colleagues in the military. This remains a heartbreaking reality despite the millions of dollars appropriated by Congress and more than 100 reform provisions implemented by Congress over the past two decades. Frankly, none of those measures have been enough to reduce sexual assault in the military, to protect victims, or to increase accountability for perpetrators. With too many of these measures falling short, today I am announcing my cosponsorship of the Military Justice Improvement and Prevention Act. We now need fundamental change to tackle this epidemic, especially after the brutal murder of U.S. Army Specialist Vanessa Guillen. Senator Gillibrand’s bill takes significant steps to change how the military prosecutes serious crimes such as rape and provides new tools to help stem the tide of sexual assault within the ranks. While this bill is not a cure-all solution, we must take bold steps to establish justice and accountability for victims of sexual assault.”

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) sent a letter to the Biden administration urging it to develop concrete steps to tackle the alarming rate of food insecurity many military families currently face. In their letter, the Senators also urge the administration to appoint an individual from within the Department of Defense (DoD) to lead efforts to tackle the issue of food insecurity as it affects mission readiness as well as troop retention and recruitment.

“We are writing to express significant alarm over food insecurity and hunger facing numerous servicemembers and their families nationwide, and the compounding effect that the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts have had. We believe that as a country we must do more to assist these struggling families, and therefore ask the Department of Defense to outline concrete steps they intend to take to support these families, and ways in which Congress can assist these efforts to reduce food insecurity among our servicemembers and their families,” wrote the Senators to Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The issue of food insecurity among military families has existed long before the COVID-19 crisis, with servicemembers and their families turning to food pantries and food distribution programs to feed their families. In fact, a 2019 survey conducted by the Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) found that one in eight out of their respondents reported experiencing food insecurity. According to that same survey, Virginia military families experienced even higher frequencies of food insecurity, with one in six families struggling to afford food. In addition, Pentagon records show that during the 2018-19 school year, one-third of military children at DoD-run schools in the U.S. were eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 crisis has only worsened these trends. A Blue Star Family survey from July 2020 – when COVID-19 cases continued to skyrocket nationwide – found five percent of all respondents were unable to afford more than a week’s worth of food.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated this crisis for military families. Military spouses already struggled with high levels of unemployment, at 24 percent, prior to the pandemic. Due to COVID-19, many military families have lost needed second sources of family income, and struggle with working or finding work, while also managing virtual schooling and insufficient child care options. This has had a catastrophic effect on family finances, increasing the risks of food insecurity. The COVID-19 Military Support Initiative Pain Points Poll, organized by Blue Star Families from July 2020, also revealed disturbing findings, with five percent of all respondents unable to afford more than a week’s worth of food, and 17 percent of military spouse respondents who reported losing a job or being unable to work as a result of the crisis,” the Senators continued. “Despite these challenges, we still require our servicemembers and their families to maintain mission readiness, to conduct Permanent Change of Station moves, to train, to deploy, and to execute their duties without fail. They are obligated to honor the commitments they have made by choosing to serve and protect our freedoms. We too have an obligation - to make sure that our military families have what they need to not just survive, but thrive.”

In their letter, the Senators also called for DoD to expeditiously submit the congressional report examining military food insecurity that was mandated through the FY20 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The long-overdue report would give Congress another snapshot of the food insecurity our military families face. 

Sen. Warner has been a strong advocate of expanded access to food assistance for families in the Commonwealth amid the COVID-19 crisis. He has put pressure on the USDA to formally authorize Virginia’s request to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Online Purchasing Pilot Program, successfully pushed USDA to waive a requirement that made it more difficult for families to receive USDA-reimbursable meals, and secured a USDA designation that allows food banks to distribute food directly to Virginia families in need while limiting interactions between food bank staff, volunteers, and recipients. In August, Sen. Warner also successfully pushed for USDA to extend critical food waivers to help make sure students have access to nutritious meals while school districts participate in distance learning. Sen. Warner introduced the Healthy Food for All Americans Act and the FEMA Empowering Essential Deliveries (FEED) Act to tackle the food insecurity gap. Additionally, Sen. Warner supported the passage of the American Rescue Plan, which extends a 15 percent increase in SNAP benefits through September 30, 2021.

A copy of the letter can be found here and below.

The Honorable Lloyd J. Austin III

Secretary of Defense

1000 Defense Pentagon

Washington, DC 20301-1000

Dear Secretary Austin:   

We are writing to express significant alarm over food insecurity and hunger facing numerous servicemembers and their families nationwide, and the compounding effect that the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts have had. We believe that as a country we must do more to assist these struggling families, and therefore ask the Department of Defense to outline concrete steps they intend to take to support these families, and ways in which Congress can assist these efforts to reduce food insecurity among our servicemembers and their families. 

The problem of food insecurity existed long before the pandemic began, with military families using food pantries and distribution programs on or near every single military base in the United States. A 2019 survey organized by the Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) showed the pervasiveness of food insecurity in the military. Per the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Six Item Food Security Scale, one in eight out of MFAN’s survey respondents in 2019 reported experiencing food insecurity. 

Moreover, a Blue Star Families 2018 Military Family Lifestyle Survey found that seven percent of military family respondents stated that someone in their household had faced food insecurity in the previous year, and nine percent of military family respondents indicated that someone in their household had sought emergency food assistance. In addition, Pentagon records show that during the 2018-19 school year, one-third of military children at DoD-run schools in the U.S. were eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated this crisis for military families. Military spouses already struggled with high levels of unemployment, at 24 percent, prior to the pandemic. Due to COVID-19, many military families have lost needed second sources of family income, and struggle with working or finding work, while also managing virtual schooling and insufficient child care options. This has had a catastrophic effect on family finances, increasing the risks of food insecurity. The COVID-19 Military Support Initiative Pain Points Poll, organized by Blue Star Families from July 2020, also revealed disturbing findings, with five percent of all respondents unable to afford more than a week’s worth of food, and 17 percent of military spouse respondents who reported losing a job or being unable to work as a result of the crisis. 

Despite these challenges, we still require our servicemembers and their families to maintain mission readiness, to conduct Permanent Change of Station moves, to train, to deploy, and to execute their duties without fail. They are obligated to honor the commitments they have made by choosing to serve and protect our freedoms. We too have an obligation – to make sure that our military families have what they need to not just survive, but thrive.

We understand that the report examining military food insecurity called for in the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act is overdue at this point, and that a briefing on the report is expected in the coming months for the House and Senate Armed Services Committee staffs. We request this report be completed expeditiously and that either a briefing be expanded to include all interested Congressional staff, or that a separate briefing on this report be held so that other interested Congressional staff could participate. 

In addition, we ask that the Department of Defense assign a single point of contact within the Department to lead this effort. We also ask that the Department provide a plan for addressing food insecurity and hunger for our servicemembers and their families by April 15. Any plan should, at least, address the following:

·       recommended inter-agency coordination with USDA and other relevant federal agencies,

·       an engagement strategy for partners such as MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, and National Military Family Association, which have been deeply involved in responding to this issue; 

·       your assessment of recent proposals such as the Military Family Basic Needs Allowance and the removal of the barrier to federal nutrition assistance programs created by counting the Basic Allowance for Housing as income; 

·       suggestions to foster a change of culture within the Department to remove the shame and stigma that prevent many who are struggling from seeking help, and 

·       the costs of failing to take action to respond.

The problem of food insecurity among military families is an issue of mission readiness as well as troop retention and recruitment. We appreciate your attention to this urgent matter and stand ready to help.   

Sincerely,

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