Moulton Advances Strengthened Counter-ISIL Political Strategy and Improved Military Mental Health Resources in National Defense Bill

Moulton secured funding to advance Massachusetts’ capacity to lead on national defense\

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, praised the committee’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2017, which includes amendments introduced by Moulton to strengthen our counter-ISIL strategy and ensure the military provides more effective mental health resources to veterans and active duty personnel at high risk of suicide. Moulton also worked to secure critical funding that will advance Massachusetts’ role as a leader in our national defense efforts.

“The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is instrumental in keeping our troops safe abroad and our families protected here at home,” said Moulton. “I’ve said many times that too little attention has been given to a long-term political strategy in our fight against ISIL. Additionally, we should all be able to agree that our military personnel and veterans deserve the best health care in the world. The amendments I introduced will ensure that we use this opportunity to strengthen our counter-ISIL efforts and provide more effective mental health resources for our military personnel.”

Below is a description of the passed amendments Moulton introduced to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017:\

Military suicide prevention: Moulton’s amendment aims to provide better proactive and reactive mental health care for our nation's active military personnel. It builds upon existing provisions and requires the Department of Defense to identify patterns and trends in incidences of suicide among the service branches, and develop a methodology in order to provide more effective mental health care among active personnel.

Anti-ISIL Campaign Strategy: Moulton’s amendment requires the Departments of State and Defense to implement a comprehensive counter-ISIL strategy that includes clear military and political objectives for Iraq and Syria with a rigorous reporting requirement.

During the markup, Moulton noted that since 2012, suicide has been the leading cause of death in our military, and over the past three years, the suicide rate in our military has been nearly 50 percent greater than the civilian population. “The bottom line is the Department of Defense needs to ensure the services work proactively to collect and share data, and act in response to this crisis,” said Moulton.

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Moulton has frequently called on top military leaders to implement a clear political strategy in our efforts to combat ISIL. Moulton and other Armed Services Committee members were frustrated by a lack of specificity and direction in the Section 1222 report required by last year’s NDAA – a report which lacked a forward looking strategy detailing both the political and military aspects of the anti-ISIL campaign.

Moulton also worked to secure provisions that will advance Massachusetts’ role as a leader in our national defense efforts. As part of the NDAA, MIT Lincoln Labs, located at Hanscom Air Force Base, has been authorized an additional $40 million this year to modernize and upgrade their research facilities, as well as $265 million over the next five years. The bill also supports the JSTARS program managed at Hanscom Air Force base, an important communication and command platform for our combat forces.

The NDAA was reported out of committee and will advance to the full House for consideration. Moulton’s remarks on military suicide prevention can be viewed here, and his remarks on implementing an anti-ISIL strategy, here.

To learn more about Congressman Seth Moulton visit https://moulton.house.gov or find the Congressman on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

###\

 \