Lujan Grisham Statement on Defense and Veterans Spending Bills

Statement

Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham released the following statement following her votes in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act and the 2017 Veterans Appropriations bill:

"These spending bills not only fully fund the essential national security work conducted at our national laboratories and military bases, but also support our veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country. They also provide service-members a well-deserved pay raise, invest in nuclear non-proliferation activities, and safeguard the safety security of our nuclear stockpile. And the VA will have the resources it needs to modernize health records, expedite the disability claims system, strengthen mental health and suicide prevention programs, and provide veterans the quality, timely health care that they have earned.

"I strongly favor those bi-partisan initiatives to support our service members and veterans. However, I am deeply disappointed that House Republicans attached unrelated, discriminatory riders to these largely bipartisan spending bills.

"These riders allow federal contractors to fire LGBT employees because of who they are or who they love. Unproductive, anti-LGBT provisions do not do anything to defeat ISIS, support our troops, or care for our veterans. It is shameful that House Republicans would hold the civil rights of LGBT Americans hostage in order to advance a bill that is supposed to serve veterans and active military. I urge my Senate colleagues to strip these dangerous provisions and instead, focus on supporting the Americans who have spent their lives keeping us safe."

Source