WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-08) joined the House Thursday in passing the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which included five amendments authored or sponsored by the freshmen representative.

The amendments included:

• Fitzpatrick (R-PA) – Amendment No. 62 – Directs the Secretary of Defense to implement a process to coordinate annual research requests between all services and offices under Department of Defense in order to maximize the benefit of each request and minimize duplication, and achieve cost savings.

• Fitzpatrick (R-PA) – Amendment No. 63 – Directs DOD to conduct a review of the foreign currency rates used at disbursement to determine whether cost-savings opportunities exist by more consistently selecting cost-effective rates

• Fitzpatrick (R-PA) – Amendment No. 64 – Directs the Secretary of Defense to raise the priority of completing DOD Directive 2310.07E in order to clarify processes and efficiencies in recovering the remains of heroes missing in action, via the POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

• Boyle (D-PA), Fitzpatrick (R-PA) – Amendment No. 39 – Requires a report from Secretary of State on U.S. cybersecurity cooperation with Ukraine.

• Sinema (D-AZ), Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Budd (R-NC) – Amendment No. 139 – Directs the Secretaries of Defense, State, and Treasury, in coordination with appropriate federal officials, to report to Congress on the current funding mechanisms used by Islamic State and affiliated entities; the most likely future financing mechanisms available to Islamic State and affiliated entities; and US efforts to deny access to such funding mechanisms. 

“I’m proud that the House accepted my amendments in overwhelming bipartisan fashion,” said Fitzpatrick. “When it comes to protecting our homeland, our families and our allies abroad, there is no room for partisanship. Each one of these measures strengthened the overall bill and deserve to be enacted into law.”

The NDAA is an annual federal legislation responsible for authorizing the budget and expenditures for the Department of Defense. The bill now heads to the Senate. It will likely be sent to Conference Committee where it will be justified with the Senate version by members of both the House and Senate before a final vote later this summer.

###