Friends,

Before we dive into this week's recap, I want to take a moment to wish a Happy Father’s Day to all Dads who support us, take care of us, & love us from near and far….! Especially sending love to my husband and my own Dad who I am blessed to have in our family!  I hope you all had a nice day with your families...!

Last week was a busy week in Washington. Throughout the week, we voted on several significant pieces of legislation, including the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), FY25, which authorizes critical U.S. defense systems, counters China's growing aggression, modernizes our fighting force, and invests a historic $5 billion in quality of life improvements for servicemembers. Additionally, we unanimously passed a resolution to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust. I was proud to vote in favor of these bills, and you can read more about them below:

Securing our National Defense

At a time when our nation is facing complex threats across the globe, it is imperative we are both supporting our military community here at home and giving our warfighters the capabilities they need to succeed in any future conflict. Last week, we passed the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), FY25, which will do just that. You can read the full legislation here.

This commonsense legislation authorizes crucial defense programs and significantly enhances our servicemembers’ quality of life through housing, healthcare, and childcare improvements. It’s also a game-changer when it comes to compensation - it will boost pay for our junior enlisted members by 19.5% while also providing a FY25 4.5% pay increase across all services!

The NDAA also authorizes $806.8 million for 14 military construction projects in Virginia, including $54.8 million for military construction projects in Hampton Roads...! It also provides an additional $1 billion to maintain the supply chain for a 2nd Virginia Class submarine, which is critical to restoring American deterrence. 

I was honored to serve on the Quality of Life Panel that helped lay the foundation for this historic legislation...all 31 recommendations made by our panel are in the NDAA, and you can read about them here. I look forward to working with our colleagues in the Senate to get this bill across the finish line so we can stay ahead of our adversaries and prioritize the servicemembers and their families who sacrifice so much to protect our great country. I am proud to and will continue to support our men and women in uniform and be their voice in Congress...!

Read the full Quality of Life Report here.

Read the full text of the NDAA here.

Expanding Healthcare through Telehealth Innovation

Last week, I attended the Center for Telehealth and e-Health Law's Digital Health Tech Showcase in the Capitol. I met with innovators who use new technologies to improve the lives and health outcomes for patients! They demonstrated their products and showed how telehealth can be expanded to continue providing access to quality healthcare for all Americans.

As a geriatric nurse practitioner, I was excited to see these advancements and have personally seen the benefits of telehealth as an option for all patients, including our seniors. Thank you for inviting me and for demonstrating these exciting new products!

American Logistics Association Visits D.C.

Last week, members of the American Logistics Association visited Washington, D.C. to advocate for the men and women in uniform they serve. The American Logistics Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization of manufacturers and their representatives that sell or provide products and services to the military. I had the privilege of speaking with them about the importance of their work and the need to prioritize our servicemembers' quality of life.

Our military men and women cannot take care of our country if we don't take care of them first. As a former Navy helicopter pilot, Navy spouse, and now a Navy mom, I have seen firsthand some of the quality of life challenges our servicemembers face. At a time when our nation is facing increasing threats across the globe, Congress must act to ensure the quality of life and readiness of our servicemembers is prioritized.

Thank you to the American Logistics Association for inviting me to your advocacy day, and to all of your members for the work they do. The programs and resources they provide help directly improve the lives of our military men and women!

Happy Birthday, U.S. Army!

Friday was an exciting day for our U.S. Army, as they celebrated their 249th birthday! Since 1775, American soldiers have been defending our freedoms both at home and abroad and we are thankful for their service. I am honored to advocate in Congress for all branches of our military, including the U.S. Army. Thank you to the U.S. Army Congressional liaisons for dropping off some awesome cupcakes to help celebrate the big day...!

Botanical Garden

Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting the Norfolk Botanical Garden! With 175 acres of natural beauty, the Norfolk Botanical Garden is Virginia's largest botanical garden. It was awesome to visit and see the incredible work they are doing to educate Virginians about local flora and to see the progress on their "Garden of Tomorrow," which will feature a state of the art conservatory and environment and education lab! My favorite was the butterfly house and monarch butterfly release we were able to do while we were there…! Thank you for having me and showing me around - I can't wait to visit again soon!

Weekly Poll

With over 1,100 votes last week, 81% of you said that you don't think that Virginia should require all new cars sold be electric starting in 2035. I agree with you, which is why I voted against the bill in 2021 when I served in the Virginia Senate. I'm grateful for Governor Youngkin's leadership on this important issue.

And now on to this week's poll question! Please click one of the buttons below to share your opinion.

Medal of Honor Recipient of the Week

This week I want to recognize Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant William Harvey Carney of the U.S. Army, the first African-American Medal of Honor recipient (Medal of Honor Action Date: July 18, 1863). 

William Carney was born a slave on February 29, 1840 in Norfolk County, Virginia. There is no confirmed story on how he became free, but most argue that he used the famous Underground Railroad. Carney joined the Army in March of 1863 and was a part of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. On July 18, 1863 Carney took part in the Second Battle of Fort Wagner, and while it ended in a defeat for the Union Army, the valor of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the second African-American Regiment, was put on full display.

During this battle the Color Guard, carrying the Union Flag, was killed. Despite being shot in his right arm, chest, leg, and a bullet grazing his head, Carney took it upon himself to retrieve the flag and march forward with it. After being ordered to retreat he struggled back across the battlefield and once returning the flag to another survivor from the regiment he is recorded as saying “Boys, I only did my duty; the old flag never touched the ground!"

Not only was Carney promoted to Sergeant for his actions that took place during Second Battle of Fort Wagner, but 37 years later, on May 23, 1900 Carney was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions. While there were 20 other African American soldiers who received their Medals of Honor before Carney, his action date occurred before all the others.

Carney was honorably discharged due to disability caused by the wounds he received and he returned to New Bedford, Massachusetts. Following his service, Carney delivered mail for 32 years and was the founding Vice President of the New Bedford Branch18 of the National Association of Letter Carriers in 1890. 

Sergeant William Harvey Carney passed away on December 9, 1908 in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He is buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in New Bedford, Massachusetts. 

Fun Fact of the Week!

On June 17, 2021 “Juneteenth”, officially became a federal holiday which honors the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday, celebrated on June 19th, marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state in order to ensure that all enslaved people were freed. This day marks the emancipation of the last remaining enslaved people of the United States, signifying the dawn of equality and freedom for all Americans. 

As always, please don't hesitate to contact my DC Office at (202) 225-4215 or my Virginia Beach District Office at (757) 364-7650 with questions, concerns, or if you require assistance with a federal agency. And don't forget - if you’d like to stay up to date with what I’m working on, check out my website and follow my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages (linked below) to stay up to date!

If you or your family are visiting Washington DC in the coming summer months, please stop by to say hello! If you are interested in a tour, please let us know!

Take care,

Jen A. Kiggans

Congresswoman, Virginia's Second District