Mary Gay Scanlon: “I thank Mr. Perlmutter for yielding me the time. I am proud to rise in support of this rule and the underlying…”

“I thank Mr. Perlmutter for yielding me the time. I am proud to rise in support of this rule and the underlying legislation. I believe that each of the underlying bills that we consider in this rule will benefit not only people across the country but, in particular, residents of Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District in a meaningful and tangible way. The NDAA provides a 3 percent pay increase for our servicemembers and their families, expands paid family leave, and makes long-overdue changes in how the Department of Defense addresses the needs of servicewomen. The NDAA also makes necessary investments in our ability to handle future deadly infectious diseases and key investments in military infrastructure to support our troops overseas, but for the residents of my district, the benefits go even further. More than 4,600 people in my region are proudly employed in building the Chinook helicopter, our country's premier heavy-lift aircraft, as well as the Osprey, one of the Navy's most innovative and invaluable assets. Our neighbors who build these incredible aircraft are immensely proud of both their record of producing these aircraft on time and on budget and their craftsmanship, which correctly supports our national security around the world. I am proud to continue our region's bipartisan tradition of Federal support for this critical program.…”