WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Mike Bost released the following statement on House passage of the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Conference Report: 

“This legislation ensures our troops have the tools they need to defend our nation against growing threats at home and abroad and that our veterans have full access to the benefits they’ve rightly earned,” said Bost.  “I am pleased that the defense funding package included provisions I introduced to empower small businesses and to protect Mascoutah’s military families from a temporary loss of heavily Impacted Aid.  While NDAA has national implications, real impact is in how it affects hardworking families.” 

Among the bill’s key provisions:
•    Bost amendment to provide bridge funding to Mascoutah School District to compensate for its temporary loss of heavily impacted aid;
•    Bost amendment requiring the Small Business Administration to create a new small business size standard for agriculture producer businesses;
•    Increases base military pay 2.1 percent;
•    Maintains current housing allowance policies;
•    Provides increased military readiness stabilization funding to ensure that our troops have the training and equipment they need;
•    Provides relief for California Guardsmen who were issue inappropriate bonuses by directing a process for the fair adjudication of their cases.
•     Continues to prevent President Obama’s attempts to close the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and transfer terrorists to the United States.

The United States Senate is expected to pass this legislation shortly.  It will then go to the President’s desk for his signature.    

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