IFPTE Urges Congressional Support for Members' Priorities in NDAA Amendment Consideration
As the Senate and House Armed Services Committees continue to work on the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2023 (NDAA), IFPTE shared the union's list of Senate amendments to the NDAA that advance good governance and protect merit system and competitive hiring, improve DoD personnel policies and federal employee benefits, and support good union jobs in the defense industrial base.
In a letter to all Senate offices, IFPTE requested Senators support a number of amendments to the NDAA that address members' priorities. The list of supported amendments was also shared with House Armed Services Committee Members' offices. The supported amendments include the following:
An amendment "To Impose Limitations on the Exception of Competitive Service Positions," sponsored by Sen. Feinstein (D-CA), Sen. Kaine (D-VA), Sen. Van Hollen (D-MD), Sen. Warner (D-VA), Sen. Padilla (D-CA), Sen. King (I-ME), Sen. Warren (D-MA), Sen. Schatz (D-HI), and Sen. Duckworth (D-IL). This amendment provides a crucial defense of the federal civil service so that it cannot be undermined by a presidential administration that seeks to replace nonpartisan career federal employees and merit system principles with political operatives who are hired and fired at the whim of the administration.
A bipartisan amendment titled, “Support for Department of Defense-affiliated Families Supplanted from Department Child Development Centers,” sponsored by Sen. Collins (R-ME), Sen. Shaheen (D-NH), Sen. King (I-ME), and Sen. Hassan (D-NH). This amendment requires DoD to report to Congress the impacts on federal employees and contractors resulting from their families losing the use of child development centers and what steps DoD is taking to assist affected families and increase availability and affordability of childcare for those families.
An amendment titled, “Prohibition on Contracting with Employers That Violated the National Labor Relations Act,” sponsored by Sen. Sanders (I-VT), that prohibits DoD contracting with employers that violate the National Labor Relations Act, unless the unions at the violating employer affirm that the employer is in compliance with the collective bargaining agreement and has bargained in good faith.
An amendment to add the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act of 2022 (WRDA), sponsored by Sen. Carper (D-DE), Sen. Capito (R-WV), Sen. Cardin (D-MD), and Sen. Cramer (R-ND). The two-year WRDA includes a permanent a change in the cost share for inland waterways projects to 75 percent federal and 25 percent Inland Waterways Trust Fund, authorizes 17 reports for new projects and 36 feasibility studies, ensures dredging needs at under-served community harbors are met, and tasks the Army Corps to report annually on time necessary to perform environmental reviews on projects.
An amendment to add the bipartisan “Pregnant Workers Fairness Act,” sponsored by Sen. Casey (D-PA) and Sen. Cassidy (R-LA), which makes it an unlawful employment practice for employers to discriminate against pregnant workers, fail to provide reasonable accommodation, or retaliate against pregnant workers.
A bipartisan amendment to add the “Keep STEM Talent Act,” sponsored by Sen. Durbin (D-IL), Sen. Rounds (R-SD), Sen. Blumenthal (D-CT), Sen. Klobuchar (D- MN), Sen. Padilla (D-CA), Sen. Wyden (D-OR), Sen. Murphy (D-RI), Sen. Brown (D-OH), Sen. Hirono (D-HI), and Sen. Coons (D-DE). The bill has the endorsement of the AFL-CIO's Department of Professional Employees and IFPTE. It creates a high-road approach, with a clear prevailing wage standard, to retaining international students in the U.S. earning advanced STEM degrees who want to be a part of the U.S. STEM workforce.
IFPTE also requested Senators oppose amendments that weaken competitive hiring and civil service protections by expanding direct and term hiring, misguidedly eliminate federal R&D programs, and undermine the Service Contract Act's prevailing wage threshold.
The NDAA is must-pass legislation that authorizes federal defense programs and activities and provides budget authority for Congress to fund those defense programs. Congress typically passes an NDAA with bipartisan support before the end of the year. While the House of Representatives has passed their NDAA bill, H.R. 7900, in July, the Senate is considering amendments to an earlier version of the House bill. The House and Senate Armed Services Committees are also in "pre-conference" discussions to help the House and Senate agree on NDAA language that can pass Congress before the end of the year.
As Congress continues to work on the NDAA in the weeks ahead, IFPTE will be engaged with House and Senate offices to make sure bipartisan support for an NDAA that includes IFPTE members' priorities.