Bipartisan Defense Bill Hijacked by Liberal Lawmakers

Press Release

Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) issued the following statement after voting against the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):

"Unlike last year's totally partisan NDAA, this year, the House Armed Services Committee worked in a bipartisan manner to draft an NDAA which mostly focused on providing our military the weapons, training, and support they need to continue to defend our nation. However, when the bill came to the House floor, Democrats wasted no time in flooding the bill with non-defense related amendments, many of which were bills the Democrats had previously passed through the House. Because the far-left wing of the Democrat party were allowed to use the NDAA, which is supposed to be solely for the support of our national defense, as a vehicle to advance their own agendas, I could not support this bill. We now must rely on the Senate to take out these egregious provisions, and send back a bill that supports our troops."

A few controversial provisions added onto FY 2021 NDAA

* Directs the Treasury Department to provide up to $10,000 of debt payment for every single private student loan borrower

* Limits when a President can deploy active duty troops within the U.S. during civil unrest under the Insurrection Act

* Directs the Secretary of Defense to develop a policy that defines conscious and unconscious gender bias, and provides guidance to eliminate conscious and unconscious gender bias

* Expresses the sense of Congress that the Department of Defense should develop an integrated master plan for pursuing Net Zero initiatives and reductions in fossil fuels

* Requires public companies to disclose the racial, ethnic, and gender composition of their boards of directors and executive officers, as well as the status of any of those directors and officers as a veteran

* Prohibits any funding for new nuclear testing

* Expands federal lands in Western States by one million acres

* Authorizes the Secretary of Defense to contribute $5,000,000 to support the National Maritime Heritage Grants program

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