July 15, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 118 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E919-E920]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      SUPPORT OF H.R. 2500, THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PETER A. DeFAZIO

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 15, 2019

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Madam Speaker, last Friday I voted in support of H.R. 
2500, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 
(FY) 2020.
  While I have consistently opposed this legislation in previous years 
and still have concerns about a number of provisions included in this 
year's legislation--including yet another spending increase to an 
already bloated Pentagon budget--this legislation also contains 
numerous policy priorities that I strongly support and which have not 
been included in recent Republican-led NDAAs.
  First, this legislation grants our men and women in uniform a well-
deserved pay raise of 3.1 percent--the largest pay raise for our troops 
since the last Democratic House majority in 2010. Those who serve in 
uniform continue to make extraordinary sacrifices for our country and 
the very least we can do is grant them a pay raise.
  I am pleased that this legislation also includes numerous provisions 
that require the Department of Defense (DoD) to address the existential 
threat of climate change, including updating military construction 
standards to promote energy and climate resilience. It also requires 
DoD to report on its progress towards meeting the goal of 25 percent 
renewable energy for military facilities by 2025.
  Additionally, I am pleased that this legislation prevents the 
president from diverting defense funding to pay for an unnecessary 
border wall, prohibits funding for the deployment of dangerous low-
yield nuclear weapons, nullifies President Trump's discriminatory 
military transgender ban, and helps protect our veterans from being 
taken advantage of by predatory, for-profit colleges. Moreover, it ends 
the unfair Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)/Indemnity Compensation (DIC) 
offset--also known as the ``widow's tax''--which currently reduces 
spouse survivor benefits by an average of $1,250 per month. I am also 
strongly supportive of the inclusion of twelve weeks of paid family and 
medical leave for all federal employees.
  This legislation also includes several provisions to strengthen our 
national security, including requiring the DoD to enhance our election 
security, countering Russian aggression and election interference, 
enhancing security cooperation with our allies in Europe and Asia, and 
protecting against the increasing risk of cyber attacks.
  I have always advocated for strengthening Congress's constitutional 
authority to declare war and limiting the president's authority to 
engage in armed conflict without the consent of Congress. That's why I 
voted in support of amendments to prevent the president from using 
unauthorized force against Iran, to prohibit U.S. support to and 
participation in the Saudi-led coalition's military operations in 
Yemen, and to repeal the long-outdated 2002 authorization for the use 
of military force (AUMF) in Iraq. I am proud that these amendments 
passed with bipartisan support.
  This year I have once again introduced legislation to amend the War 
Powers Resolution

[[Page E920]]

of 1973 and reassert Congress's constitutional war powers. I have also 
consistently supported legislation to repeal the 2001 AUMF, which the 
Pentagon uses to continue to justify the 18 years our troops have been 
fighting in the Middle East. President Trump has sent troops to Syria, 
Yemen, and elsewhere without seeking a new AUMF, which in my view is a 
violation of the War Powers Resolution.
  Furthermore, I am pleased that this legislation accelerates closure 
of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility by prohibiting new detainees 
and allowing transfer of detainees to secure facilities in the United 
States. This unnecessary facility costs almost $450 million each year 
to house 40 prisoners and has been used as a top recruiting tool by 
terrorists. The prison at Guantanamo Bay has been a black eye for the 
United States, eroding relationships with our allies, undermining U.S. 
missions abroad, and putting U.S. citizens and our troops at risk of 
retaliation.
  However, I believe this legislation could have made responsible cuts 
to our defense budget without jeopardizing the safety of our troops or 
undermining our national security. For years, Congress has continued to 
increase the Pentagon's budget despite overwhelming evidence of its 
waste and abuse of taxpayer money. This year's legislation--with its 
outrageous top line defense budget of $733 billion--is yet another 
example of Congress's habit of increasing the defense budget every 
year.
  I have long supported a financial audit of the Pentagon. Unlike every 
other federal agency, the DoD has yet to pass a financial audit. In 
November 2018, the Pentagon spectacularly failed its first full audit, 
which highlighted numerous examples of waste and abuse. While I am 
pleased that this year's NDAA requires an annual audit of the DoD in 
order to help identify waste, it is ridiculous to provide the Pentagon 
a massive spending increase--as this bill does--when the Pentagon 
cannot even account for how it spends taxpayer money.
  In particular, I have always opposed the DoD's Overseas Contingency 
Operation (OCO) account, a fiscally irresponsible fund that is not 
counted in the budget, recklessly adds to our mounting debt, and has no 
congressional oversight. OCO is a Pentagon slush fund that gives a 
blank check to fund endless wars that Congress hasn't authorized. 
That's why I co-led an amendment to cut OCO funding in the bill by 
approximately 25 percent. I am disappointed that this amendment failed 
to pass.
  The bottom line is that fiscal responsibility and accountability at 
the Pentagon would allow for funds to be better spent supporting the 
needs of our troops, meeting our obligations to veterans, and ensuring 
our legitimate defense needs are prioritized. I strongly encourage my 
Senate colleagues to keep the strong provisions included in the House 
NDAA and not water the bill down.

                          ____________________