Congressman Cleaver Votes to Override President’s Veto of the NDAA

(Washington, D.C.) – Last night, the House of Representatives voted to override the President's veto of the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (FY21 NDAA) by a vote of 322-87. With the requisite two-thirds majority supporting the measure, the President's veto has been overridden in the House of Representatives. United States Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) voted in favor of the legislation, which will provide a 3% pay raise for servicemembers, authorize and increase hazardous duty pay for servicemembers in harm's way, provide long-overdue benefits to Vietnam-era veterans exposed to Agent Orange, strengthen our nation's cybersecurity, remove all names and symbols honoring the Confederacy from Department of Defense installations, and more. The NDAA will become law if the Senate also votes to override with a two-thirds majority.

"For 59 consecutive years, the U.S. Congress has passed the NDAA to ensure the needs of our military personnel and their families are met so that they have the tools necessary to continue defending the freedoms we hold so dearly," said Congressman Cleaver. "While there are certainly provisions I would have personally taken out and others I would have liked to see included, this year's NDAA is a solid compromise that provides our military members with the pay raise and hazard pay they deserve, some critical benefits that are long-overdue, and the means to protect our nation in every field from the seas to the latest cyber threats. Despite the President's latest temper-tantrum, I'm pleased we were able to pass this critical legislation with overwhelming bipartisan support."

Included in this year's NDAA was the Coordinating Oversight, Upgrading and Innovating Technology, and Examiner Reform (COUNTER) Act, a bill introduced by Congressman Cleaver to update and overhaul the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), which dictates banks' responsibilities to help the government detect and root out illicit financial transactions from nefarious actors domestically and abroad.

"The COUNTER Act would be the largest overhaul of the BSA since we cracked down on illicit financing following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001," said Congressman Cleaver. "This is critical to preventing money laundering and other illicit financial activity that funds nefarious actors within the United States and abroad, which has exploded with the introduction of digital banking and digital currencies. I'm proud of the work we were able to do in a bipartisan fashion that will bring our financial security infrastructure into the 21st Century and help defund the bad actors who wish to do our country harm by taking advantage of outdated safeguards."

The COUNTER Act would empower the U.S. Treasury Department to protect our national security and safeguard our financial systems by codifying an information-sharing program between law enforcement, financial institutions, and the Treasury Department, which will better ensure the detection and capture of illicit financial activity. In addition, the bill would close a number of loopholes that have long enabled financial crimes, positioning our national security apparatus to face the financial security challenges of tomorrow. Finally, the COUNTER Act will provide much-needed relief to small banks and credit unions by bringing outdated regulations weighing on smaller institutions into the 21st century while still reinforcing our national security.

Some noteworthy provisions advocated by Rep. Cleaver in the FY21 NDAA include:

• Authorizing a 3% pay raise for servicemembers;
• Providing a long sought after health benefit for tens of thousands of Vietnam-era veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange
• Removing all names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia that honor or commemorate the Confederate States of America from all military installations;
• Extending paid parental leave to approximately 100,000 federal civilians who were inadvertently excluded in the FY20 NDAA, including employees at the VA, TSA, FAA, and more;
• Setting limits on the use of Defense Department emergency construction funds to prevent future Presidents from attempting to reallocate military construction accounts for projects which Congress has declined to appropriate funds;
• Creates a Chief Diversity Officer of the Department of Defense as well as a Senior Advisor for Diversity and Inclusion for each military service;
• Creating a Task Force on Domestic Violence and enabling victims of sexual harassment to make confidential reports outside the chain of command;
• Creation of an alternative fuel vehicle pilot program, which would require the Department of Defense to expand the use of hybrid and electric vehicles;
• Requiring the Department of Defense to submit a report on its greenhouse gas emissions from the last 10 years; and
• Requiring steps to ensure the Department of Defense's consumption of fossil fuels is reduced by 30% in 25 years.

The COUNTER Act was endorsed by the following organizations: the Conference of State Bank Supervisors, Bank Policy Institute, National Association of Federal-Insured Credit Unions, Credit Union National Association, Mid-Size Bank Coalition of America, Financial Accountability & Corporate Transparency Coalition, American Bankers Association, Consumer Bankers Association, One Campaign, Financial Services Forum National Association of Realtors, Institute for International Finance, American Land Title Association, and Bankers Association for Finance and Trade.

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Blue Springs, Grain Valley, Oak Grove, North Kansas City, Gladstone, Claycomo, and all of Ray, Lafayette, and Saline Counties. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee; Chairman of the House Subcommittee on National Security, International Development, and Monetary Policy; member of the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress; member of the Committee on Homeland Security; and a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. For more information, please contact Matt Helfant at 202-590-0175 or Matthew.Helfant@mail.house.gov A high-resolution photo of Congressman Cleaver is available here.