Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett Statement on House Passage of FY19 National Defense Authorization Act

Statement

Today, Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett made the following statement on House passage of the FY19 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):

"I am honored to support our military in my capacity as a Member of Congress representing the U.S. Virgin Islands. This bill provides critical resources to those on the front lines protecting our nation, and it sets important policy priorities for the Department of Defense as we confront ever-changing threats across the globe. It also contains some important priorities for the Virgin Islands. I co-sponsored an amendment that would grant agencies the ability to double the value of a contract awarded to the U.S. Virgin Islands small businesses for the purposes of the small business prime contracting goal for a duration of four years after enactment of the legislation. The NDAA FY 2019 also includes a provision that would transfer the housing allowance from Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) to Basic Housing Allowance (BHA) for military personnel living in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

"This year's NDAA makes critical investments in advanced technologies and improves our ability to deter adversaries in cyberspace. It includes a 2.6 percent pay increase for our service members, supports our special operations forces, enhances our ability to counter threats from weapons of mass destruction, and provides for increased humanitarian assistance.

"This bill is not perfect. Nevertheless, this is a strong bill and a testament to the hard work done by members of Congress working together to promote our national security. I will continue to work with my colleagues to craft a final bill that will support our armed forces, protect our interests abroad, and keep Americans safe."

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