Rosen Votes to Override President Trump’s Veto of NDAA, Secures Victories for Nevada

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) released the following statement after voting to override President Donald Trump’s veto of the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA). The now-enacted NDAA includes a pay raise for our troops, five of Senator Rosen’s bipartisan bills to support U.S. cybersecurity, and numerous victories for Nevada.

“I voted to override the President’s veto of this year’s NDAA because this critically important legislation supports our servicemembers and the security of our nation,” said Senator Rosen. “The now-enacted NDAA includes a well-deserved pay-raise for our men and women in uniform, as well as five of my bipartisan bills to strengthen U.S. cybersecurity and improve our nation’s STEM workforce. The NDAA also includes several provisions I requested that directly benefit Nevada, including a much-needed generator at Creech Air Force Base and no funding for nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain, along with money for construction projects at Naval Air Station Fallon and the Nevada National Security Site. I will always stand up for the safety and security of Nevada and our nation.”

BACKGROUND: Senator Rosen’s bipartisan bills in the FY21 NDAA include:

  • PROMOTES Act (S.3900): Introduced by Senators Rosen, Rounds (R-SD), Blackburn (R-TN), and Peters (D-MI), this bill authorizes the Secretary of Defense to establish a grant program for STEM in JROTC units.
  • PROTECT Act (S.4195): Introduced by Senators Rosen and Cassidy (R-LA), this legislation formally authorizes and provides stability for CISA’s Cybersecurity Education Training Assistance Program (CETAP).
  • Small Manufacturer Cybersecurity Enhancement Act (S.4598): Introduced by Senators Rosen and Young (R-IN), S.4598 authorizes the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Director of NIST, to provide funds to Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers for the provision of cybersecurity services to small manufacturers.
  • The HACKED Act (S.2775) and the CYBER LEAP Act (S.3712): Introduced by Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) and co-led by Senator Rosen, these two bills improve the cyber workforce and establish cyber grand challenges, respectively.

Senator Rosen’s submitted requests included in the final FY21NDAA include:

  • NO Yucca Mountain funding.
  • Providing new Central Standby Generator for Creech Air Force Base. 
  • Authorizing funding for cooperative missile defense programs with Israel.

 Other key provisions to benefit Nevada and our nation include:

  • Providing our troops with a three-percent pay-raise.
  • Authorizing $732 billion in discretionary spending for national defense.
  • NO funding to renew explosive nuclear weapons testing activities.
  • Authorizing $29 million for military construction projects for Naval Air Station Fallon.
  • Authorizing $16 million for new military construction projects for the Nevada National Security Site.
  • Increasing MQ-9 procurement to prevent termination without a request. The MQ-9 is stationed at Creech Air Force Base.
  • Maintaining the status quo land withdrawals for the Fallon Range Training Complex (FRTC) and the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) for twenty five years, and creating Intergovernmental Executive Committees (IEC) at both FRTC and NTTR to allow local, state and Tribal governments to collaborate with the military in providing advice and exchanging information on the management of natural and cultural resources.

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