Axne has 2 amendments included in NDAA renewal

Two amendments from Iowa Third District Congresswoman Cindy Axne have been included in the National Defense Authorization Act renewal.

The NDAA -- which sets the budget for the Department of Defense -- cleared both the House and Senate this week. Last week, the House voted to attach Axne's Transition for Success Act, which would expand the DOD's transitional skills training and employment assistance to National Guard members.

"I'm so grateful for the strong National Guard that we've got in Iowa and the support for the military in our state," said Axne. "It brings jobs to our state. It's something that we need to support."

Axne says the National Guard performs critical missions domestically, including flood relief and COVID-19 duties, while also serving abroad, so it makes sense to include them in the program.

"The men and women of the National Guard obviously protect our communities every single day," said Axne. "That includes going overseas on tours and helping us during the COVID-19. They should be afforded the same opportunities for growth as other members of the armed forces."

Axne co-sponsored the bill with Representatives Williams Timmons of South Carolina, Mike Bost of Illinois, Anthony Brindisi of New York, Greg Murphy of North Carolina and Max Rose of New York. She says it will expand the program by 30%.

"My Transition for Success Act will help include those National Guard members into the Department of Defense's SkillBridge Program, which helps connect veterans to skilled civilian jobs," said Axne. "It helps retrain them, connects them with the organizations and helps them get a good-paying job after they leave service."

The bill has the backing of several large employers in the SkillBridge Program, including Microsoft, Amazon, the National Association of Homebuilders and the Utility Workers Union of America.

"It's only fair that we offer that to our great men and women serving in the National Guard in our state and across the country," said Axne. "I'm thrilled to see that that got into the bill and has a lot of support to move forward."

Another piece of legislation co-sponsored by Axne was included in the NDAA. That amendment would protect investments in the RC-26 aircraft program, which is used in disaster aid and security by the Iowa Air National Guard. President Trump has indicated he may veto the NDAA because of language that would remove Confederate names from military bases.