Rep. Sherrill Secures Major NDAA Wins for Picatinny Arsenal and NJ Economy, Stands Up For Service Members and their Families

Sherrill Passes 20 Amendments in NDAA Markup

WASHINGTON — Late last night, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), former Navy helicopter pilot and member of the House Armed Services Committee, secured nearly $46 million in additional funds for Picatinny Arsenal programs and the New Jersey innovation economy in a mark-up of the bipartisan, must-pass National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Additionally, she successfully included an amendment to codify access to year-long supplies of contraceptives to service members.

The NDAA is critical legislation that Congress authors each year to establish defense priorities, make organizational shifts to military posture, and provide direction on how military funding can be spent. Sherrill also supported the inclusion of crucial measures to increase service member pay, expand work opportunities for military spouses, and improve access to child care for military families. 

"As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, one of my chief responsibilities is to craft national defense legislation that strengthens our fighting forces across the globe, bolsters the New Jersey economy by investing in Picatinny Arsenal, and improves the quality of life for service members, veterans and their families. I also included amendments to strengthen New Jersey’s workforce by expanding apprenticeship and educational opportunities for service members, cut through red tape to improve research and treatment specific to women’s health, and hold the Department of Defense accountable for its use of dangerous PFAS chemicals,” said Rep. Sherrill.  

“At a time where women’s health is under attack across the nation, it’s more important than ever that we protect access to contraceptives and family planning for service members. That’s why I am proud to successfully secure a bipartisan amendment to ensure service members can access a full year’s prescription of contraceptives.” Sherrill continued.

Rep. Sherrill also stood up for labor unions, spoke up against Republican attempts to prevent the Department of Defense from implementing critical clean energy and net-zero carbon emissions strategies, and led the opposition to Republican efforts to remove critical diversity and equity initiatives from our service academies.

The NDAA also includes provisions that will strengthen Picatinny Arsenal, one of the largest employers in NJ-11, and support the work conducted there. Rep. Sherrill championed additional funding for Picatinny programs, including:

• Assured Precision Weapons and Munitions
• Gun-Based Counter Drone Systems
• Autonomous Armaments Technology for Unmanned Systems
• Overmatching the Speed of Battle
• Advanced Manufacturing of Energetics Materials
• Manufacturing for Novel Lightweight Transparent Film Armors

Rep. Sherrill offered and successfully secured inclusion of 20 amendments to the NDAA, including:

• Codifying DoD policy allowing one-year contraceptive supplies to active duty service members.
• Creating and distributing women’s heart health educational materials to both patients and providers in the military healthcare system.
  • This builds off Sherrill’s HEART Act, which she introduced in January 2023 as part of her Jersey STRONG Plan.
• Creating a risk framework for service members to help them avoid phone apps that pose national and personal security risks.
  • This builds off of Sherrill’s BAD APPS Act, which she introduced in October 2023 as part of her American Jobs and Competition Plan.
• Instructing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study dredging issues at Bayonne Dry Dock and develop potential solutions to restore its ship repair and maintenance capacity.
• Expanding access to high-quality Registered Apprenticeship positions for service members through the Skillbridge Program.
• Exploring how to establish a DoD-run Servicewomen’s Health Center of Excellence to expand research and treatment of women’s health.
• Expanding opportunities for women to enter science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-related fields in the Armed Forces.
• Investing in the North Jersey innovation economy by exploring next-generation propellants under development at NJIT and Picatinny Arsenal.
• Requiring an update on the DoD PFAS Task Force’s activities – which is addressing “forever chemicals” in our military – to gain new insights on its impact on human health and the environment.
• Modernizing equipment and training for firefighters at military facilities.
• Safeguarding the United States military from international quantum hacking.
• Protecting wildlife by monitoring light pollution at military installations.

The NDAA supports service members, veterans, and their families, by:

• Increasing military basic pay by 4.5% for service members and pay for the junior-most service members, many of whom currently face food insecurity, by 15%. 
• Improving access to child care for military families
• Expanding job opportunities and enhancing job security for military spouses
• Improving access to mental health care for service members
• Increasing housing resources for service members and their families

Other notable items in the NDAA include: 

• Outlining a comprehensive strategy to combat fentanyl trafficking
• Investing in military infrastructure projects that will expand access to good-paying jobs
• Expanding missile defense and hypersonic capabilities
• Strengthening oversight over defense acquisition and foreign military sales
• Emphasizing and strengthening our commitments to allies and partners

Rep. Sherrill is a graduate of the US Naval Academy and served in the Navy for almost 10 years as a helicopter pilot and Russian policy officer. As a Russian policy officer, she worked on the implementation of our nuclear treaty obligations and oversaw the relationship between the U.S. Navy and Russian Federation Navy. She now serves on the House Armed Services Committee, where she serves on the Tactical Air and Land Forces and Readiness Subcommittees.

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