Congressman García’s Statement on the National Defense Authorization Act

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04) issued the following statement after voting against the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a bill which sets funding for U.S. military operations.

"I strongly support the men and women in our armed forces for the sacrifices they and their families make to protect our freedom. Though strong provisions were included to help federal employees and military families, I ultimately voted against the final NDAA because it does little to prioritize peace and diplomacy and fails to prevent the President from abusing executive authority.

"A bill that authorizes $738 billion in military spending only promotes more overseas conflict. Our country would be stronger if we reduced bloated military budgets and invested significantly more in educating our children, rebuilding our infrastructure and expanding access to health care, housing and more sustainable technologies.

"Honoring our service members requires pursuing a defense policy that prevents our armed forces from entering unnecessary conflicts in the first place. I voted against the NDAA because we must reduce the military budget and restore Congress' ability to constrain the President's use of military force."

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