Walorski Statement on NDAA Passage

Press Release

Rep. Jackie Walorski (IN-02), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement after the House passed, for the second time in five weeks, legislation to authorize defense spending:

"With Veterans Day approaching next week, the most important thing Congress can do is pass legislation to ensure those who served and are serving now have what they need to successfully accomplish their mission and care for their families. The new legislation, which is nearly identical to legislation that passed in the House and Senate earlier this year, will fund our nation's military and keep some of the world's most dangerous terrorists secure at Guantanamo Bay," Walorski said. "In an increasingly dangerous world, I will continue to do everything to support our troops and strengthen our national security. I'm grateful the House came together to pass this bill with an overwhelming, bipartisan, veto-proof majority and I encourage my colleagues in the Senate to quickly do the same and send to the president's desk."

S. 1356, the FY16 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), passed the House by a vote of 370-58 and now heads to the Senate for further consideration.

On Oct. 1, the House passed the NDAA with overwhelming bipartisan support and later that week, the Senate passed the measure with support from both sides of the aisle. On Oct. 22, President Obama vetoed the legislation, only the fifth time a sitting president had done so in the bill's 54-year history, citing concerns that funding did not meet his requested levels in his budget submissions. The latest version of the NDAA accounts for $5 billion in cuts to the Pentagon's budget for FY2016.

Walorski represents the 2nd Congressional District in Indiana, where she serves as a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, House Armed Services Committee and House Committee on Agriculture.

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