The House of Representatives has passed H.R. 2500, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020. Included in the legislation were two amendments authored by Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-09) requiring a pay raise for military service members to take effect on Jan. 1, 2020 regardless of presidential attempts to change it, and directing the Department of Defense (DoD) to design a plan to reduce the intensity of military facilities’ water consumption.

In response to the passage of H.R. 2500, the Congressman issued the following statement:

“Every day, the men and women of our armed forces serve and protect our nation. Their patriotism should not be politicized. This tactic of delaying a pay raise for service members has been used in the past, but my amendment will prevent the livelihood of our troops from being used as a political weapon.

“Additionally, DoD is the largest federal agency with the highest water consumption rates. They’re also one of the leading innovators within the federal government, with outposts and facilities across the country and around the world. By charging DoD with the creation of a water conservation plan, we will be moving our nation toward a more sustainable water future.”