Quigley Provision to Protect Service Members from COVID-19 Passes House

Press Release

Amendment was included in the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act

U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) successfully championed an amendment in the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act to provide service members with masks during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The provision, offered by Representative Xochitl Torres Small (NM-02) and co-led by Quigley, instructs the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress how many masks are required to protect members of the armed forces and how the Department of Defense (DoD) plans to meet that need. Through this amendment, Quigley and Torres Small will ensure that Congress can provide effective oversight of DoD's effectiveness in providing masks to service members.

"In the midst of the ongoing coronavirus crisis, while many of us are lucky enough to be able to work from home, we continue to ask the men and women of our armed forces to show up day in and day out. Whether they are here in the United States or at any of our military bases abroad, we must do everything in our power to protect their health and safety," said Quigley. "We think nothing of providing service members with armor or weapons to defend themselves, providing masks is no different."

The Quigley-Torres Small provision will require the Secretary of Defense to present their report no later than January 1, 2021. The FY21 National Defense Authorization Act passed the House of Representatives on a bipartisan vote of 295-125.

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