Press Releases

WASHINGTON - Today, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) voted to pass the conferenced version of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2023. This bipartisan bill honors our values, supports our servicemembers and their families, strengthens our security, and advances our leadership in the world.  The bill authorizes discretionary spending for national defense for FY 2023, while making significant quality-of-life improvements for servicemembers and their families and also making key investments in innovation and emerging technologies. 

The bill authorizes the construction of a new training facility for the Delaware Army National Guard designed to improve the quality and quantity of training available to our troops. Blunt Rochester championed a provision in the bill based on her bill, the Behavioral Health Crisis Services Expansion Act, that would require enhanced oversight and accountability of the scope and quality of TRICARE coverage of behavioral and mental health crisis services. The bill also includes over $1 million to support the Advanced Quantum Sensing Center at Delaware State University. Quantum research and emerging technologies promise revolutionary changes to fundamentally secure modes of communication, new paradigms for energy harvesting and conversion, powerful quantum computers, and exquisitely sensitive quantum sensing and metrology platforms. Blunt Rochester also fought to secure critical funding for housing at the Dover Air Force Base. 

“As Members of Congress, we have no greater responsibility than to ensure the security of our nation – and that starts with supporting our men and women in uniform,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester. “With this year’s defense funding bill, I was proud to secure crucial benefits and protections for our servicemembers that will make our nation safer and stronger, while making strong investments in our national defense and in our security interests.  I’m particularly proud to have secured key funding for the Delaware National Guard to help make critical upgrades to their facilities that will help improve readiness. I’m also thrilled that this bill will help secure vital funds for cutting-edge research at Delaware State University. I’m proud that, once again, Congress has worked to pass a bipartisan and bicameral National Defense Authorization, and I look forward to President Biden signing the bill into law.”

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