Rep. Huffman Votes Against 2017 Defense Authorization

May 20, 2016

WASHINGTON­—Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) voted against the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) this week on the House floor, legislation that includes anti-LGBT language, undermines the President’s plan to close Guantanamo, and makes defense employees susceptible to gender or age discrimination. The bill also takes $18 billion in funds from the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) account and uses them for base operations, a budgetary attempt to force Congress to approve additional wartime operations funding by April 30, 2017, and skirt the bipartisan defense budget caps established in 2015.

“This year’s defense authorization bill would do real harm to many Americans while playing budget games that jeopardize our men and women in uniform,” said Rep. Huffman. “It is unacceptable that this bill enables defense contractors to discriminate against LGBT employees and prevents the implementation of the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order.  Furthermore, instead of budgeting the amounts needed to defend our country, the legislation actually moves funds to costly programs not requested by the Department of Defense.  I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to develop smarter defense bills in the future.”

Huffman opposed several provisions in the bill, including:

·         Reduction  of OCO Funds–Funding for combat troops will end on April 30, 2017, an attempt by the bill’s authors to skirt defense budget caps and create a “funding cliff” requiring additional funding transfers in 2017;

·         Guantanamo Detainee Provisions- Extends Guantanamo Bay’s operation and continues restrictions on the transfer of detainees, contrary to President Obama’s plan to close the facility;

·         Enabling LGBT Discrimination with Taxpayer Funds- Essentially overturns President Obama’s historic executive order to protect LGBT workers in federal contracts;

·         Alternative Fuels- Would weaken the framework for developing  use of alternative fuels in the future;

·         Limitation on Availability of Funds for Acceleration of Nuclear Weapons Dismantlement- Places unnecessary restrictions on the ability of the President to exercise his responsibilities to manage the nuclear arsenal; and

·         Harmful Environmental Riders- Included a number of harmful environmental riders to roll back Endangered Species Act protections, put at risk state initiatives to manage invasive species, and inhibit federal land conservation.   

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