Program amendment has become law with the signing of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act
The Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was signed today, and with that we are excited to announce that Representative Scott Taylor (VA) has led the way for the Defense Access Roads (DAR) program amendment we have been working on to sail through Congress and become law!
One of our top priorities has been protecting our military bases from sea level rise and flooding, and today marks a big step in that direction.
DAR is a small Department of Defense program that allows military installations and defense industry sites to use their yearly funding to address transportation issues on roads leading into or out of their location.
While speaking to our members that either worked or lived on or around military bases, they all spoke about the same problem:
Flooded roads frequently prevented them from reaching the base, but there was no reasonable way to fix the issue.
Flood risk management would typically be an Army Corps Civil Works issue, but they require a significant non-federal cost share that no city was able to easily afford. Since the base itself couldn’t do anything due to DAR’s restrictive program criteria, the problems were left unaddressed with no solutions.
We knew that fixing this issue was a project that we had to take on.
With Rep. Taylor leading the effort, and support from other Members of Congress who recognize the need to preserve our military readiness, we were able to get through the House with bipartisan support for new report language in the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, and an amendment to the DAR program in the NDAA.
This was a small victory, but getting through the House was only the first step towards our ultimate goal. Going back to work on the Hill, we continued to engage Members and staffers to try and maintain the momentum and get DAR across the finish line. The remaining steps — support in the Senate, making it into the Conference Report — were going to be difficult. But thanks to our efforts, our friends in Congress, and strong support from stakeholders in flood-affected regions, we were able to make it happen.
The signing today is an important moment for the Coalition. It shows in no uncertain terms how effective we can be when we listen to the needs of our membership and drive for efficient reforms.
In the span of about four months, we were able to take an idea and make it reality. We have achieved a significant milestone in our pursuit of protecting our military and the communities that surround and support their bases. Our ability to accomplish so much in such a short period of time speaks to the power of bipartisanship in Congress, and we cannot thank them enough for their cohesive efforts on this.
As we move into the second half of the year, we’ll continue to push for additional reforms that benefit our membership. We’ve got our eyes on some short, intermediate, and long-term goals, and we’ll keep you updated every step of the way!
As always, if you have any questions or comments on our policy agenda, let us know! Contact us through social, or email us at info@floodcoalition.org.
