Rep. Bice’s provisions included in national defense bill
Her proposals included border security money
The House Armed Services Committee this week adopted provisions authored by Rep. Stephanie Bice in the annual defense bill, including one to add money for border security and another to help military families with a disabled member.
Bice, an Oklahoma City Republican who serves on the committee, said the National Defense Authorization Act headed to the House floor also includes her proposal for a pilot study on the effectiveness of suicide prevention programs at the Defense Department.
Another proposal sponsored by the freshman lawmaker is aimed at increasing the workforce in the defense industry.
The committee completed its work on the bill early Thursday after a marathon session.
Bice backed an amendment, approved 42-17, to add $24 billion to the amount authorized for the Defense Department in the next fiscal year. That follows a similar move by the Senate Armed Services Committee, which overwhelmingly approved an amendment in July by Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe to add $25 billion to the defense budget.
“I’m pleased that the committee approved the majority of my proposed amendments, including one that will reallocate $25 million to enable units from the Army National Guard to take a greater role in assisting U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel, who are already strained to the brink in the current crisis at our southern border,” said Bice.
The committee adopted Bice’s proposal to shield military families from housing modification costs related to disabled family members. Under her amendment, families would not have to pay for changes to base housing to accommodate disabilities.