WASHINGTON, DC – May 23, 2008 – Congresswoman Niki Tsongas released the following statement regarding House passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, which sets spending limits for the Department of Defense for the coming fiscal year.  Included in the bill, is bipartisan legislation introduced by Tsongas to help aid the recruitment and retention of skilled healthcare professionals in the National Guard and Reserves.

"I want to thank Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter for their leadership on this legislation.  The National Defense Authorization Act addresses our immediate readiness needs while maintaining our commitment to modernization that will keep our country safe and deter threats in the future.

"The operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are having severe impacts on our readiness.  The legislation passed by the House puts us on track to restore our readiness and our capability to respond to emerging threats around the world.  It also strengthens our capabilities in Afghanistan by providing performance standards for Provincial Reconstruction Teams, training and equipping the Afghan National Security Forces, and increasing the Commanders Emergency Response Fund.

"The bill also takes significant strides to improve the quality of life for our men and women in uniform and their families, and as such includes a 3.9 percent across-the-board pay increase.  It rejects, on a bipartisan basis, proposed increases in TRICARE fees and copays.

"I appreciate that the Committee included a provision in the bill that I requested that would give flexibility to the Department of Defense to increase the loan repayment amount for medical personnel in the National Guard and Reserve.

"The recruitment of skilled health professionals in the Reserves and National Guard is at an all-time low.  The strain on our citizen soldiers remains extremely high, and tuition and medical indebtedness among healthcare professionals has increased substantially in recent years.  The Defense Authorization Act addresses this problem by raising the loan repayment ceiling for benefits available to those doctors, dentists, and other health care professionals currently in the Guard and Reserves, and to those considering such a career, so that they are competitive with similar repayment programs in both the private sector and the active duty military.

"As we continue to ask more and more from our National Guard and Reserves, it is critically important that they have access to the tools that keep their ranks strong and keep our service members safe.  Increasing the loan repayment program limit so that it more accurately reflects tuition costs and is competitive with other plans available to healthcare professionals is an important step in accomplishing this goal."