Blackburn Fights For Tennessee Troops And Strengthens National Defense
December 11, 2020
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Marsha Blackburn (R—Tenn.) joined her colleagues in the United States Senate in passing the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, she fought for Tennessee’s military priorities and secured support for mission-critical projects that will benefit Tennessee.
“We must ensure that our troops have what they need to defend our nation and prepare for the future of warfare,” Senator Blackburn said. “Thousands of servicemen and women call Tennessee home and I have the special responsibility to look after each and every one of them.”
Key Points
- Expands opportunities in Tennessee by promoting military research at Tennessee universities, continuing JROTC educational opportunities in STEM, and increasing funding for machine and advanced manufacturing research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
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- Empowers the future of Tennessee’s military and national security installations through increased funding and support.
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- Provides full funding for research, development, and procurement of mission-essential aircraft, including MH-47 Chinook helicopters, and technologies essential for future basing of MQ-9 Reapers in Tennessee.
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- Includes a major provision of Senator Blackburn’s K2 Veterans Toxic Exposure Accountability Act, requiring a study on toxic exposures at K2. The report, due in just 180 days, is an urgently-needed first step in recognizing the long-term health effects of exposure to dangerous chemicals and radiological hazards.
- Increases funding for military spouse professional licensure portability to make it easier for spouses to continue working after moving across state lines. This builds on Senator Blackburn’s work last year, which established licensure reciprocity for spouses, in order to facilitate a seamless adjustment for servicemembers and their families.
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- Meets President Donald Trump’s requested budget of $740.5 billion to fully fund our military and provide a 3% pay raise for our troops.
- Ensures our continued ability to deter Chinese military action and defend our interests in the Indo-Pacific.
- Secures American supply chains and reduces overreliance on foreign adversaries like China by requiring a certain percentage of critical technologies to be manufactured and assembled in the United States or a cooperating country.
- Begins the process of modernizing body armor for female servicemembers to prevent injuries caused by ill-fitting personal protective equipment.
- Creates and robustly funds a pilot program to allow the Tennessee National Guard to provide cybersecurity assistance and expertise to other state National Guards through state fusion centers.
Click here for more information on Senator Blackburn’s work in the FY 2021 NDAA to promote American innovation and high-skilled work in Tennessee, empower the future of Tennessee’s military installations, and streamline Department of Defense operations.
The executive summary of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 can be found here.