Pappas Statement on Extreme Republicans Playing Politics with National Defense

Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) released the following statement after extreme Republican members of the House of Representatives hijacked a historically bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to play politics with our service members and national security:

“Extreme Republicans in Congress have again turned what should be a bipartisan process to support the military and safeguard our national security into a partisan exercise that degrades our readiness and harms our servicemembers. The addition of blatantly political amendments, including efforts to limit health care access and the personal freedoms of service members, target the LGBTQ+ community and put a political agenda ahead of our military personnel, makes this version something I cannot support. There are vital provisions in this legislation I have fought to secure, including military pay raises, addressing PFAS and toxic exposure, expanding access to affordable housing, child care, and mental health care to servicemembers, and ensuring our armed forces remain the strongest in the world. That’s why I urge the Senate and the House to come together to craft a bill that puts aside partisanship and truly focuses on our national security needs. I look forward to supporting a bipartisan, compromise version that strengthens our military and respects the service of our Armed Forces.”