(Photos: Getty Images; Illustration: POGO)
Press Release
Annual Defense Policy Bill Includes Dangerous Provisions and Reckless Spending
Congress must not fund use of the military to carry out domestic policing on American city streets.
Washington, D.C. — The House version of the annual policy bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), will bolster the Trump administration’s dangerous use of the military to assist with deportations and exacerbate wasteful spending at the Pentagon.
The bill will rubber stamp the Trump administration’s use of the military in domestic policing and immigration enforcement. The legislation also increases the Pentagon budget topline and includes provisions that will exacerbate waste at the Pentagon.
Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, acting vice president of policy & government affairs at the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), issued the following statement:
“The House’s bill will solidify the Trump administration’s dangerous use of the military as cover for carrying out deportations. It’s shameful for lawmakers to enable policies that threaten public safety and the crucial separation of the military from domestic policing. Senate negotiators must firmly reject these harmful amendments that will do nothing but sow fear in communities across the country. In short, Congress must not fund the Trump administration’s attempts to abuse its power by deploying the military to carry out domestic policing on American city streets.”
Although this year’s House NDAA bill as a whole is harmful and reckless, the legislation also contains some positive reforms that will benefit service members and taxpayers alike. The Project On Government Oversight pushed legislators to include in the NDAA language that would give service members the right and ability to repair their own equipment. This will improve military readiness by enabling service members to make repairs quickly in the field, and it will save taxpayers money by ensuring the government doesn’t need to rely on costly contractors. The House also included reforms to the Nunn-McCurdy Act that will provide better oversight over the acquisition process for major weapons. We urge leaders in Congress to keep these reforms in the bill.
