RELEASE: House Passes Annual Defense Bill Including Key Gottheimer Provisions

WASHINGTON, DC — Last night, Tuesday, December 7, 2021, the House passed key provisions authored by U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) — 1) to address Foreign Terrorist Organizations’ utilization of social media platforms; 2) to help law enforcement and municipalities utilize the LESO/1033 program. Both provisions are part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2022. 

“Yesterday, the House passed a strong, bipartisan defense bill to help equip and prepare our service members to carry out their mission and defend our country. This bipartisan bill includes key provisions I introduced to support our servicemembers and reserves, to fight both global and domestic terror, especially on social media platforms, and to support our local police departments with critical resources,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “I’ll continue working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support our active-duty military, combat terrorism and violent extremism, and strengthen America’s national security.”

“I’m honored to help ensure that our law enforcement has the resources they need to protect themselves and our communities,” added Congressman Gottheimer. “We must always get the backs of those who have ours.”

Gottheimer’s amendments passed by the House as part of the Conference Report for the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 include:

• Improving access to the LESO/1033 federal equipment program for first responder departments in smaller communities: The legislation directs the Department of Defense to report on the equity of the LESO/1033 program, a federal initiative that delivers equipment sitting idly and that might otherwise be destroyed, to local first responders. Specifically, Gottheimer’s provision will identify disparities in access to equipment distribution between larger municipal departments and smaller ones. Additionally, the report will identify potential reforms to the LESO/1033 program.

• Combating foreign terrorist organizations spreading extremist propaganda on social media: The annual national defense package directs the Director of National Intelligence to report on the use of online social media by designated foreign terrorist organizations and analyze the threat posed to U.S. national security by online radicalization.

The bill passed this week also includes:

• A 2.7% pay raise for members of the military.
• Stronger parental leave provisions for caregiving servicemembers, specifically by expanding access to child care.
• Protections for military communities from PFAS chemicals.
• Better access to health care, including mental health care and reproductive care.
• Landmark provisions to combat sexual assault and harassment in the military. 
• Steps to combat our adversaries with new tools to deter aggression from Russia and China and to address transnational threats including terrorism, and supports our allies. 

The bill also contains bipartisan provisions supported by Gottheimer that builds on Congress’s bipartisan action in passing Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) legislation to provide for the relocation of our Afghan allies and partners, and requires the Secretary of Defense to continue to provide in-depth reports and briefings to Congress on the situation in Afghanistan.

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