Rep. John Garamendi Statement on Passage of Rule for FY25 NDAA

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today. U.S. Representative John Garamendi (D-CA-08), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee, issued the following statement regarding today’s passage of the rule for Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (FY25 NDAA).  

“For the past 63 years, the National Defense Authorization Act has been the most esteemed stalwart tradition of bipartisan compromise in Washington, today this cherished tradition ended because of Speaker Johnson.  

Speaker Johnson in a midnight hail mary to save his speakership, added in a provision for the sole purpose of pandering to the most extreme wing of the Republican party over the head of his own committee chair – an action that is as callous as it is reckless.  

Outside the poison pill, the NDAA has troubling provisions that don’t address the dangers posed by nuclear weapons. The provisions handcuff the United States to a path that will waste countless taxpayer dollars while diverting critical resources from our military’s other modernization priorities. We remember how unstable and reckless the previous Donald Trump administration was with our nuclear arsenal, and now we will see an unchecked Donald Trump who is emboldened with these dangerous weapons. Our country should be pursuing arms control, not arms races.  

While I am proud of the work we have done, I cannot in good conscience support this bill as it stands now." 

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