Pocan Derides Nearly $1 Trillion NDAA

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) released the following statement after House passage of the $874 billion FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a bill he has never voted in favor of since being elected to Congress:

“It’s time to say ‘enough.’ Year after year, we spend more and more on our national defense – it’s too much with too little accountability. We have troops on food stamps while at the same time, price-gouging defense contractors are getting richer by the day.

“This entire process from House Republicans has been a sham. They have done away with all norms and stripped all bipartisanship from this bill. They didn’t allow debate on amendments from Democrats, including mine to cut the overall Pentagon budget by $100 billion, a fraction of the overall budget which could help address domestic priorities like housing, education, affordable healthcare, and more.  Moreover, this bill was littered with poison pill riders that attack the LGBTQ+ community, restrict access to abortion, and gut efforts to improve Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the military, undermining our national security and putting our troops in harm’s way. I’ll continue to fight to ensure these provisions never become law.”

The House did adopt an amendment offered by Rep. Pocan to require the Pentagon to report to Congress detailing the progress made to date in its ongoing efforts to pass an audit, and outlining the remaining challenges and outstanding requirements to achieving a clean audit opinion.

However, Republicans refused to allow debate on a number of other priorities supported by Rep. Pocan, including the amendment to cut the topline funding level by $100 billion, as well as several others that would:

• Improve cost and pricing data transparency in government contracts,
• Require the Departments of Defense and State to report on illegal settlement activity in the West Bank,
• Require the Department of Defense to report on the potential health effects of exposure to jet noise, including from F-35 aircraft, and
• Prohibit discrimination in the military and ensure that standards for eligibility for service and equality of treatment and opportunity in service may not include any criteria relating to protected categories and gender.

The FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act passed the House with a vote of 219-210. The Senate will consider their version later this month.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.