Boswell For Congress

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Leonard Boswell voted to support America’s men and women in uniform and their missions that help keep our nation secure when the House passed H.R. 5136, the National Defense Authorization Act.

“As a new member of the House Armed Services Committee, I had the opportunity to help craft this legislation and ensure that it supports our troops and their missions, strengthens counterterrorism programs both here and abroad, and furthers the progress this Congress has made on improving our national security,” Boswell said. “In addition to addressing our immediate security needs, H.R. 5136 provides a hard-earned raise for our active troops and benefits for our military families.”

Boswell also secured a study in H.R. 5136 on the feasibility of evaluating breast cancer rates in women in the armed forces who have served in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“Last year, I introduced the Armed Forces Breast Cancer Research Act to address the incidence rate of breast cancer in women service members in response to anecdotal evidence that these soldiers were being diagnosed with breast cancer at an unusual rate after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Boswell said. “As a Vietnam War veteran who has personally experienced the lifelong effects of Agent Orange, I worked to include a directive in the Defense Authorization Act that would begin the process of establishing breast cancer as a service-connected disability for our women deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. I will not let today’s veterans wait for the medical assistance they rightly deserve after they put their lives on the line for our country.”