Hoyer: House Republicans' National Defense Authorization Act for FY16 Jeopardizes Our Economic Competitiveness, National Security

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement after House Republicans passed their National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016:

"I have been a consistent supporter of the annual defense authorization bill for over three decades; however I could not support this year's legislation in its current form. I opposed this House Republican version of the defense authorization bill because it endorses the flawed Republican budget policy of sequestration, jeopardizing our economic competitiveness and therefore our national security.

"By tucking $38 billion of non-emergency defense funding into the emergency war funding account, Republicans are attempting to bust through the sequester level defense spending cap without paying for it. This affirms their budget's disinvestment in America's future by letting defense off the hook while maintaining the sequester level cap on non-defense priorities like education, research, and infrastructure.

"I also have serious concerns about this bill's inclusion of provisions that force the government to spend more than $2.4 million a year per detainee to keep the Guantanamo Bay detention facility open as well as the removal of language that would have encouraged the Pentagon to allow DREAMers to serve the country they love and call home by joining our military.

"I remain deeply disappointed that Republicans were unwilling to work with Democrats to make this a truly bipartisan bill -- as it has often been in years past -- and instead chose to play politics. I hope a balanced deal to replace sequestration will emerge this year, so that this legislation can be improved and we can work together to provide for a strong national defense."

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