Post by bot on May 22, 2016 16:37:12 GMT -5
Hoyer: Partisan Defense Bill Discriminates, Plays Politics with War Funding
WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) issued the following statement tonight after voting against the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017:
“This evening, I voted against House Republicans’ partisan defense authorization bill because I believe the men and women who wear the uniform of our nation deserve better. I oppose this bill because it discriminates against both LGBT Americans and women, and it plays politics with war funding. It injects hot button social issues into our military authorization process, at the expense of our military.
“First, this defense authorization bill shortchanges war efforts by $18 billion, shifting that money out of a war account to pay for projects not requested by the Pentagon. This means that Republicans are playing a dangerous game of intentionally setting up our troops in combat zones for a funding cliff where they will run out of funding halfway through the year, requiring Congress to scramble to pass supplemental appropriations to keep them provisioned.
“Second, House Republicans turned this bill into a vehicle for inequality by including a provision to overturn President Obama’s executive order that extends anti-discrimination protections for LGBT employees of federal contractors and by striking earlier language that would have treated women equally in the selective service system. We shouldn’t allow taxpayer-funded contractors to dismiss employees simply because of sexual orientation or gender identity, and we shouldn’t denigrate the service and contributions women make to our national defense. Moreover, House Republicans refused to let the entire House vote on these issues despite their promises of openness and transparency.
“Third, this bill once again places restrictions on the Pentagon’s ability to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. We spend $5.5 million per detainee each year, according to the Defense Department, and its continued operation harms our reputation abroad and makes little sense given our criminal system's track record of convicting and incarcerating terrorists. In addition, a number of Republican amendments were adopted that further weaken this bill by limiting our investment in critical defense technology.
“I want to thank Ranking Member Adam Smith and House Armed Services Committee Democrats for their hard work to ensure that our troops have the support they need and to help them counter the serious threats we face. I hope the Senate can make changes and encourage House Republicans to work with Democrats to improve this legislation to the point where its final version can receive the robust, bipartisan support defense authorization bills have traditionally enjoyed.”