Schakowsky Statement After Voting Against Defense Spending Bill

WASHINGTON— Today, Congresswoman Schakowsky released the following statement after voting against S. 1605, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022:

"I voted against final passage of S. 1605, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) last night. While I supported several important components of this legislation, I could not in good conscience vote for the bill in its entirety. The FY 22 NDAA authorizes a historically high $768.1 billion in new defense spending – an increase of $36.5 billion from last year's authorization and above what the Pentagon requested. This is ten times larger than the defense budgets of the next 10 countries combined. This NDAA does not reflect the best interest of our nation at this moment in time.

"At nearly twice the annual cost of the Build Back Better Act – a bill that will transform this nation by investing in its people, the environment, health care, education, and the work force – the FY 22 NDAA reflects broken budget priorities. It does not take meaningful steps to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center, a national embarrassment and an affront to our justice system. It does not curb the 1033 program, which provides military equipment to domestic law enforcement agencies, despite being a priority in the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. It fails to rein in out-of-control executive war powers. It does not end U.S. complicity in the war in Yemen. Finally, it failed to include a critical Defense Spending Reduction Caucus amendment that would save over $76.8 billion by making a 10% topline cut to the defense budget – more than the total budgets of the Centers for Disease Control, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Parks Service, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development combined. This would have enabled Congress to invest more in basic human needs, instead of wasteful defense spending.

"After multiple endless wars, two years of a devastating pandemic, and an ongoing climate crisis, it is clearer than ever that our greatest security threats have no military solutions. It's time for a change, and today's NDAA is out of touch with our nation's true security needs. That is why I could not support its passage."

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