(Washington, D.C.)– Today, Representative Jill Tokuda, Member of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement on H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 219-210. Tokuda voted no due to far-right extremist amendments that were added on the House Floor.
“For decades, successive National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAA) have been crafted in a bipartisan manner, reflecting careful compromises struck in the shared interest of supporting our troops and advancing our national security. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I proudly and solemnly undertook the responsibility of helping to craft the Fiscal Year 2024 NDAA. The result was a balanced bill that included many hard-fought priorities for Hawai‘i that I was proud to support.
It is a sad day when that tradition of bipartisan compromise is broken because the House Republican majority has been held hostage by far-right extremists intent on turning the NDAA into a political tool for their reckless agenda. An agenda that is both harmful to national security and to our servicemembers and their families. The bill House Republicans amended and passed today strips away access to reproductive rights and basic health care, refuses to acknowledge or address the discrimination and racists attacks experienced by our servicemembers, and rejects our vision of a more diverse and inclusive society.
The bill that passed especially hurts people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ people who serve our country proudly and bravely, undermines national security, and undermines our military readiness posture home and abroad. For these reasons, I voted against the NDAA as it was amended on the House Floor.”
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