Washington, D.C. — Today, after the House voted to approve the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Damian Murphy, senior vice president for National Security and International Policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
Congress should work to pass an NDAA that focuses on national security and takes care of our service members. The House-passed bill includes welcome provisions that repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force in Iraq. Unfortunately, the House version of this important legislation has also become a vehicle for harmful and divisive political statements.
It includes several measures that support President Donald Trump’s efforts to politicize the U.S. military by limiting who can serve but does little to rein in the administration’s erratic national security policies. Prioritizing cheap political wins over securing vital resources for the military unacceptably weakens national defense. The Senate should address these issues as it considers the NDAA over the coming days.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].