View From the Capitol - Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler's Newsletter for the Week of December 9-13, 2013

Good Day,

With Christmas just weeks away and Americans shopping for family and friends, Congress was at work, trying to complete some important legislation for the people of this country.

First and foremost, Congress has approved the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2014 to defend our country and to adequately fund America’s men and women in uniform. The bill now goes to the Senate.

This important piece of legislation provides the needed resources for America to protect itself and to protect Americans in dangerous parts of the world by supporting and protecting this country’s warfighters and military families. The NDAA not only protects America today, but prepares our nation for future threats, and does so by controlling costs and making wise choices. To that end, our legislation prohibits the Department of Defense from initiating another round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). It also maintains the prohibition against transfer of suspected terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to the United States and the prohibition on construction of detention facilities for terrorists in the United States.

I am pleased that the bill will provide Fort Leonard Wood and Whiteman Air Force base with the resources they need to protect our country. Fort Leonard Wood and Whiteman Air Force Base, combined, will benefit from more than $100 million in military construction funds approved as part of the base bill.

Also included in the bill is a prohibition on making additional A-10 aircraft retirements before December 31, 2014. This proactive step will allow Congress time to conduct oversight and to consider what actions to take on any force structure changes the Air Force may propose in Fiscal Year 2015. Premature divestment of the A-10 by the Air Force would create a dangerous close air support capability gap that could unnecessarily endanger American service members in future conflicts.

On another important matter, the House and Senate have agreed on a budget that begins the task of reducing the federal deficit while safeguarding national security by reinstating some of the scheduled defense cuts.

This budget bill reduces the deficit by roughly $23 billion without raising taxes. The agreement falls short of securing everything I would like to have in the budget, but with divided government in Washington, it is a step in the right direction.

In addition to reducing the deficit, over the next two years this budget restores $30 billion in previously reduced national defense funding – reversing some of the sequester’s arbitrary across-the-board cuts that negatively impact our military. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee and a strong supporter of our men and women in uniform, I am pleased that this budget safeguards our national defense, which is one of the primary responsibilities of the federal government.

This agreement will also provide certainty by averting a government shutdown in January. This is good for all Americans as it breaks Washington’s pattern of lurching from crisis to crisis. It is not everything we want, but it strengthens our military readiness while cutting spending, and that’s good for America.

On another important matter, House and Senate negotiators have made significant progress on a comprehensive Farm Bill, but winter weather in Washington, D.C. and last minute policy changes prevented the Congressional Budget Office from providing the cost analysis the negotiators needed to complete work on the Farm Bill before the end of the year. I am optimistic that the House and Senate will be taking up the Farm Bill once Congress returns in early January and provide a five-year farm bill that saves taxpayers billions of dollars and provides a safety net for farmers during times of extreme weather or catastrophic market failure. This week, the House passed a short, one-month long extension of the current bill to ensure certainty for consumers and farmers in Missouri as negotiators iron out the final differences.

Finally, I was privileged this week to present Texas Congressman John Carter with petition signatures collected from Missourians who support his Honoring the Fort Hood Heroes Act, H.R. 3111, which I co-sponsor.

It’s a bill to have the Fort Hood attack declared what it is; a terrorist attack. The fact is that during his trial former Army psychiatrist Major Nidal Hasan acknowledged his jihadist actions as he killed or wounded soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas in November of 2009. I was recently given the signatures of more than 100 veterans at an event in Sedalia. They join me in the desire to have the despicable action declared an act of terror so that the Purple Heart Medal is presented posthumously to those killed as well as to the survivors of this horrendous action. I pray justice will be served and the victims and their families will receive the benefits they deserve.

Have a great week.

Vicky