SUMMARY:  Today, the Senate joined the House in passing the final FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by a vote of 84-13.     

            Today, the Senate passed the FY 2021 NDAA Conference Report by a vote of 84-13.  The House also voted in favor of the bill on Tuesday.  While the President has threatened to veto the bill, both the House and Senate passed the bill by a veto-proof majority.  It now heads to the President for his signature.

            The Office of Management and Budget on Tuesday formally informed Congress that President Trump plans to veto the bill, citing a provision of the bill that calls for the renaming of Defense Department facilities named after Confederate military leaders.  Trump has also insisted that the NDAA should include a provision repealing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a law that protects internet companies from liability related to sensitive or hateful content posted by individual users.  Lawmakers in both parties have rejected those calls, arguing that such a provision would not be germane to a bill focused on national security.         

The bill contains several provisions that will benefit federal employees:

• Pandemic Leave:  Permits most federal employees to carry over an additional 25% of annual leave into 2021(60 hours), in recognition of their dedicated service during the pandemic.  NTEU worked with the House Armed Services and the House Oversight and Reform Committee to have this provision included.
• Paid Parental Leave:  Extends paid parental leave to approximately 100,000 federal civilians inadvertently excluded from last year’s legislation, including employees at the VA, TSA, FAA, White House, Article I judges, and the courts and the public defender’s office for Washington, D.C.
• Elijah Cummings Federal Employee Antidiscrimination Act:  Requires each federal agency to establish a model Equal Employment Opportunity Program that is independent of the agency's Human Capital or General Counsel office and establishes requirements related to complaints of discrimination and retaliation in the workplace. 

NTEU urges the President to sign the bill.