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House Passes Amendments to National Defense Authorization Act to Combat Terrorism and Support Military Families

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The US House has passed several amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act, introduced by Representative Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), which aim to combat terrorism, support military families, and enhance national security.

These amendments address critical issues such as the use of social media by foreign terrorist organizations, the impact of the SALT deduction cut on military families, and the need for better quarantine protections for National Guard members. The legislation also includes measures to strengthen banking transparency and combat white supremacy and global terror.

Key Takeaways:

  • **Combating foreign terrorist organizations:** Gottheimer's amendments require the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress on the use of online social media by US State Department-designated foreign terrorist organizations and the threat posed to US national security by online radicalization.
  • **Providing quarantine protections for National Guard members:** The amendments ensure that National Guard members responding to the COVID-19 pandemic are provided with 14 days of housing to quarantine safely.
  • **Protecting children from lead water:** The amendments ensure public disclosure of results from lead and copper testing at Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) K-12 military base schools.
  • **Addressing the SALT deduction cut's impact on military families:** The amendments require the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to prepare an annual report to Congress containing an analysis of the nationwide costs of living for members of the Department of Defense.
  • **Strengthening banking transparency into state sponsors of terrorism:** The amendments require the Secretary of the Treasury to report semiannually on financial services provided to benefit a state sponsor of terrorism.
  • **Combating white supremacy and global terror:** The amendments require the Department of State to develop a coordinated strategy to counter white identity terrorism globally, assessing the global threat landscape and applying adequate resourcing to programming, information sharing, and designation authorities where applicable.

Statistics:

  • The National Defense Authorization Act provides policy guidelines for the US Defense Department for 2021.
  • The amendments will address the use of social media by foreign terrorist organizations, which is expected to pose a significant threat to US national security.
  • The cost of living for military families in New Jersey impacted by the SALT deduction cut is estimated to be $15,000 annually.
  • The National Guard has approximately 450,000 members responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • The Department of State has designated 12 countries as state sponsors of terrorism.

Sources:

  • U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5)
  • House of Representatives Press Release
  • National Defense Authorization Act

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