Tillis cosponsors Ernst’s bipartisan bill to improve protective gear for all service members

A bill led by U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) to ensure body armor and personal protective equipment (PPE) is upgraded for female U.S. military service members continues to draw bipartisan support, including most recently from U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and several Democratic senators.

“The growing bipartisan support for this legislation demonstrates just how important and commonsense it is, and I’m hopeful this momentum will lead to getting it across the finish line,” said Sen. Ernst, chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities.

Sen. Ernst in December 2019 sponsored the Female Body Armor Modernization Act of 2019, S. 2970, with cosponsors who now include Sen. Tillis and U.S. Sens. Martha McSally (R-AZ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) to improve the fielding of the newest generations of PPE to the U.S. Armed Forces.

“We need to make sure that every American servicemember is well equipped in order to stay safe as they defend our freedoms, and addressing the lack of proper body armor for female servicemembers is essential to fulfilling that obligation,” said Sen. Tillis, who became a cosponsor of S. 2970 on Jan. 13. “I’m proud to cosponsor this bipartisan legislation led by Senator Ernst to ensure the body armor and protective equipment female service members need and deserve is readily available.”

If enacted, S. 2970 would encourage the Armed Services to expedite the contracting, procuring and fielding of new generation PPE that better fits and protects all service members and reduces preventable injuries, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Ernst’s office.

The measure also would require the Defense Health Agency (DHA) to administer a trackable system for data input related to injuries to accompany the issuance of new PPE, among other provisions, according to the summary.

“As a company commander during Operation Iraqi Freedom, I understand firsthand the importance of providing our female servicemembers with the proper equipment to ensure their readiness, survivability and effectiveness in combat,” Sen. Ernst said, “especially as women continue to play increasingly important roles in our nation’s military.”

U.S. Reps. Joe Wilson (R-SC), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and Steve Stivers (R-OH) in December 2019 introduced the same-named H.R. 5491 in the U.S. House of Representatives.