July 24, 2020

Friends,

This week the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Included in this years NDAA is a section Iauthored as well as two amendments that Ico-sponsored. The National Defense AuthorizationAct fulfills one of Congress mostessential duties: funding our military. This years NDAA puts our troops and Americas security first by laying the foundations for an Indo-Pacific Command Deterrence Initiative, continuing to reform the Pentagons business practices, and improving provisions to support our military families.

Passing the National Defense Authorization Act is one of Congress most important constitutional duties. It is imperative that Congress passes a bill to support the brave men and women of our Armed Forces and provide them with the resources they need. I am especially pleased that three sections I co-authored were included in the final version of the bill. Those sections will equip our Armed Forces with the skills they need, deter our enemies threats, andkeep Americans safe.

Thelegislation I authored was the Banking Transparency for Sanctioned Persons Amendment whichrequires the Treasury Secretary to submit a semi-annual report regarding financial services for state sponsors of terrorism and puts foreign banks on alert that Congress will be watching their dealings with human rights abusers and corrupt officials.

The first amendment I co-sponsoredisentitled"Limitation on Eligibility of For-Profit Institutions To Participate In Educational Assistance Programs of the Department of Defense. This amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act will close the 90/10 loophole and help send more veterans to college by stopping for-profit institutions from exploiting Department of Defense funding.

The second amendment that I co-sponsoredis the"Homeland and Cyber Threat Act, which creates a cyber attack exception under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) to protect U.S. nationals against foreign state sponsored cyber attacks.

The application process for student nominations to the U.S. Service Academies is now open. As a Member of Congress, I have the distinct honor of nominating candidates to four of the five U.S. Service Academies. Members of Congress can nominate candidates to the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. The fifth Service Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, does not require a Congressional Nomination for an appointment. The honor of attending a U.S. Service Academy comes with the obligation and commitment to serve in the military for a minimum of five years upon graduation. For more information and how to apply visit my website. I am deeply proud of my own time serving as an Air Force Officer and am grateful for all our students who are willing to serve.

The National Zoo is reopening today in Washington. The zoo will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

Earlier this week, I was saddened to learn of the passing of Congressman John Lewis of Georgia. Congressman Lewis was a giant who fought for civil liberties and spoke out against injustice. It was an honor to serve with him in Congress.On Monday, the late Congressman will lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda.

If you need help with a federal agency, please contact my Charlottesville Office at (434) 973-9631. At this time all indoorSmithsonian museums in Washington, D.C. are temporarily closed to the public. Additionally, tours of the White House, US Capitol, FBI, and Library of Congress have been suspended to help contain the outbreak and prevent community spread.

See the original post here:

On the Hill with Denver Riggleman - Brunswicktimes Gazette