Washington, D.C. – Early this morning, the House Armed Services Committee unanimously approved H.R. 2647, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010. This legislation is the annual policy and funding blueprint for the national security programs and policies of the Departments of Defense and Energy, and includes initiatives authored by Third District Representative Walter B. Jones (R-NC). H.R. 2647 is expected to be considered on the House floor in coming weeks.

H.R. 2647 authorizes $550.4 billion in budget authority for the Department of Defense (DoD) and the national security programs of the Department of Energy (DoE). The bill also authorizes $130 billion to support overseas contingency operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere during fiscal year 2010. To improve quality of life for the U.S. Armed Forces and their families, the bill provides a 3.4 percent pay raise for all service members. It also extends DoD authority to offer bonuses and incentive pay, expands TRICARE health coverage to reserve component members and their families for 180 days prior to mobilization, and provides $1.95 billion for family housing programs to support and expand military housing.

While H.R. 2647 contains many provisions, Congressman Jones – who proudly represents Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and Marine Corps Air Station New River – authored several key initiatives on behalf of the military and his constituents.

The bill incorporates language based on Congressman Jones’ H.R. 1701, the PTSD/TBI Guaranteed Review for Heroes Act, which would mandate a medical examination for service members who are facing an administrative separation due to misconduct, and claim or have been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI). This examination would assess the degree to which the behavior of the service member has been affected by PTSD or TBI. Additionally, a review of previous discharges is authorized to ensure that PTSD and TBI were taken into account and, if not, the characterization of discharge may then be upgraded to honorable. “Many of our brave men and women in the Armed Services are facing difficult circumstances upon returning from a combat zone to the United States,” Jones said. “We must ensure that actions which may endanger their eligibility for treatment for PTSD or TBI are given full consideration by the appropriate medical official.”

Jones also successfully offered an amendment to prohibit the establishment of an Outlying Landing Field (OLF) at the Hale’s Lake and Sandbanks sites currently under consideration by the Navy. “I would like to thank Congressman G.K. Butterfield for his assistance in this effort,” Jones said. “The people of Eastern North Carolina have spoken loud and clear on this issue. If the OLF is needed to support F/A-18’s operating out of Oceana Naval Air Station, then Virginia should bear the burden.”

Also included in the bill was language from Jones’ legislation, H.R. 24, to rename the Department of the Navy as the “Department of the Navy and Marine Corps.” Jones has long advocated re-designating the Secretary of the Navy as the “Secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps,” and has also supported taking the change a step further to include a Department name change. This amendment received bipartisan support and was included in the committee’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act for the eighth year in a row. “This is an issue close to my heart,” Congressman Jones said. “The Marine Corps is not a subordinate arm under the Navy, but rather an equal member of a team that deserves equal recognition.”

Another provision authored by Jones and unanimously agreed to by the Committee codifies the current policy regarding family consent and media access to dignified transfer ceremonies for fallen heroes at Dover Air Force Base. “This is an important step to ensure that our nation continues to fully honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of freedom,” Congressman Jones said.

Congressman Jones and Republican colleagues on the committee also sought to restore funding for missile defense, but were rebuffed by Democrats on the Committee. Jones voted to restore $120 million for Ground-based Midcourse Defense interceptors, $1.2 billion for several programs under the Missile Defense Agency, and $237 million for the Airborne Laser Program.

For additional information, or to schedule an interview with Congressman Walter B. Jones, please contact Kathleen Joyce at (202) 225-3415.