Newhouse Amendment Included in National Defense Authorization Act Passed by House
Legislation includes funding authorization for Hanford cleanup, Newhouse amendment to reauthorize Office of River Protection in Richland through 2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) today released the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 5515, National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed the House in a bipartisan vote of 351-66. The legislation authorizes funding for national defense and national security programs of the Department of Energy, including offices at Hanford, and includes Rep. Newhouse's amendment to reauthorize the Office of River Protection (ORP) in Richland through 2024.
"I am pleased that my amendment to reauthorize the Office of River Protection through 2024 was included to keep federal cleanup efforts stable by supporting ORP's mission to focus on tank waste," said Rep. Newhouse. "Not only does this legislation fulfill Congress' constitutional responsibility to provide for the common defense, but it also raises our troops' pay and fulfills the federal government's obligation to clean up defense nuclear waste at Hanford."
The House-passed NDAA authorizes funding at $708,171,000 for the Richland Operations Office (RL), an increase from the President's Budget Request of $658,171,000, and $1,438,513,000 for the Office of River Protection (ORP).
The FY19 NDAA authorizes a total of $708.1 billion in discretionary funding, including $639.1 billion in base budget and $69 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations, giving U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis the tools he needs to restore military readiness. The legislation fully funds a 2.6% pay raise for the troops – the highest increase in nine years.
Click here for a summary on the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).