Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) released the following statement after voting against the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act.

“Funding our national defense is a bipartisan priority, but bipartisanship is not reflected in this bill,” said Rep. Hern. “The NDAA has long been the result of spirited bipartisan debate and participation, but the new Democrat majority has chosen to forsake decades of precedent to further their own, unpopular policies. Even under Speaker Pelosi’s first turn as Speaker, the NDAA was a bipartisan bill. Now, the partisan poison pills included in this bill are forced long-serving members like my colleague Tom Cole to vote against funding our military for the first time in his Congressional career. The sad reality is that the Democrat majority turned this bill into something it was never meant to be.

Rep. Hern continued, “Thankfully, we have Senator Jim Inhofe leading the Senate Armed Services Committee. Senator Inhofe is fully dedicated to getting our military the funding they deserve, and I truly believe his version of the bill is the one that will become law.”

Background:

The House voted on the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) today with a vote of 220-197.

The House NDAA seeks to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, transferring terrorists to US soil. It prevents President Trump’s Administration from taking military action to secure the Southern border and makes cuts to the programs and capabilities critical to deterring Russia & China, including nuclear modernization.

The Senate NDAA, which passed 86-8 in June, included an additional $17 billion for defense spending. The White House supports the Senate bill and has promised to veto the House version.

###