Congressman García’s Statement on the National Defense Authorization Act

Representative Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04) issued the following statement after voting against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):

“Each year since I was sworn into this office, Congress has broken the previous year’s record for military spending. This year is no different: the House just passed nearly a trillion dollars for weapons and military programs, at least a third of which will go directly to military contractors.

“This bill fails to repeal dangerously open-ended war authorizations and expands our nuclear arsenal while doing little to promote oversight, accountability, or peace. It is void of efforts to address pressing national security concerns, like the climate crisis and public health.

“With that said, I made sure my Ukraine Comprehensive Debt Payment Relief Act was added to this bill as an amendment. This amendment directs the U.S. Treasury to pursue comprehensive debt relief for Ukraine and supports multilateral economic support for refugees from Ukraine, including those of African descent.

“I also fought for improvements to the Water Resources Development Act, which was included in the NDAA. These improvements will clean up waterways in our district, such as Bubbly Creek. They fund projects across Chicagoland like ecosystem restoration for Brandon Road Lock and Dam complex and Chicago shoreline improvements.

“I am also happy to see that the Dirty Deal permitting package has not been included in the NDAA. Progressives led the fight against this fossil fuel handout, and we won.

“Still, I voted against the NDAA because it is yet another giveaway to the defense industry, creating a more armed and dangerous world. Costs are rising, working people are struggling. We should be investing in our communities, not war.”