**Kuster’s amendment to improve the DoD’s review process and adjudication of sexual assault cases was included in final passage of the FY23 NDAA**

Washington, D.C. ⁠— Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23), which will strengthen U.S. national security by supporting our service members, investing in the development of new technologies, and deepening our alliances and partnerships to compete with China economically and present a united front against Russia. Kuster’s amendment to ensure the Department of Defense defines consent and conducts fair and thorough investigations of sexual assault cases was included in the final version of the bill. 

“The annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is an opportunity for Republicans and Democrats to work together to support our men and women in uniform and make investments to strengthen our common defense against the greatest threats facing the United States,” said Rep. Kuster. “The legislation passed by the House today takes bold steps to support the service members and their families who form the foundation for our national defense, establish American energy independence, increase innovative research funding across fields, and reinforce our international alliances during a critical moment for democracies worldwide — especially as Putin continues his brutal war in Ukraine.”

“I was proud to vote for this legislation to keep Americans safe and ensure our continued strength on the world stage,” Rep. Kuster continued. “As founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence, I was especially proud that the final bill included my amendment to direct the Department of Defense to define consent and conduct fair, thorough investigations in cases of sexual assault.”

Specifically, the FY23 NDAA includes critical national security priorities, including:

• Vital benefits for service members and their families, including a 4.6% pay raise for service members and civilian personnel, 2.4% inflation bonuses for service members earning less than $45,000/year and a $15/hour minimum wage for workers on federal service and construction contracts. 

• New investments in science and technology competitiveness, including $275 million in additional funding for next-generation capabilities in hypersonics, electronic warfare, directed energy, artificial intelligence, and software.

• Expanded prioritization of supply chain security, including an assessment of dual-use technology that the Chinese Communist Party might exploit and improve risk management in DoD supply chains involving pharmaceutical products.
• Strengthened review of sexual assault cases, Rep. Kuster’s amendment gives the Joint Committee on Military Justice six months to produce a report on how the existing definition of “consent” can be improved.

• Bolstered resources for U.S. allies and partners, including $1 billion for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) and funding for the European Deterrence Initiative (EDI) and Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI).
• Creating a victims' compensation fund, which will ensure survivors of interpersonal crimes related to the U.S. Armed Forces have the financial resources they need for financial assistance, safe housing, and any property damage that may have occurred as a result of the crime.
• Turning off the tap on PFAS contamination, requires the DoD to adhere to the strictest relevant standard (state or federal) when conducting environmental remediation of PFAS contamination.
• Investments in American energy independence, by adopting international installation energy plans to increase energy resiliency and sustainability to reduce reliance on Russian energy and set a goal of eliminating the use of Russian energy entirely.
• Continuing counter-terrorism efforts, extending U.S. military support to our partners in Iraq and Syria to fight ISIS.
• Addressing human rights violations, requires reporting on Russian atrocities in Ukraine, operations pertaining to Russian “filtration camps,” and threats caused by the global food security crisis.

A summary of the provisions in the FY23 NDAA is available here. 

###