Top Democrat on House Armed Services Readiness, Rep. Garamendi Votes NO on FY27 National Defense Authorization Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA-08), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness, voted NO on the $1.15 trillion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2027, the annual legislation providing legal authority for the U.S. military. 

"$1.5 trillion, or $1,500,000,000,000. That is the egregious and dangerously irresponsible amount of money the Trump Administration has requested for military spending. Even when adjusted for inflation, this figure is nearly as much as the United States spent on defense near the height of World War II.  

“Last night, the House Armed Services Committee got one step closer to this number when they advanced a $1.15 trillion defense authorization bill, and Republicans are already pushing for an additional $350 billion in the months ahead. 

"To pay for this, Republicans and President Trump are cutting investments in healthcare, food assistance, infrastructure, transportation, and environmental protection while adding trillions of dollars to the national debt over the next decade.  

"Congress should be limiting this President, not rewarding him. This President has unilaterally begun and gotten us stuck in the Iran War, he has conducted illegal strikes of non-military boats in the Pacific, and he has deployed troops onto American streets. Along the way, President Trump has misled the public about the status of the Iran War and has ignored its impacts on Americans at home, and he has threatened to use the military for political purposes. I cannot, in good faith, approve a budget that rewards this behavior and fails to rein in an out-of-control President. 

"While I did not vote for this bill, I made significant efforts to improve this bill. I continued my longstanding fight to avoid a nuclear arms race. I am proud that my amendments imposing oversight on the wasteful F-35 program, reforming processes for addressing cost overruns, and ensuring that the Department can hold non-performing defense contractors accountable were included in the bill. I am also proud that I was able to include key provisions of the SHIPS Act, as well as other measures that support Californians, improve military readiness, and protect taxpayer dollars. 

"Despite these successes, they cannot overcome the fundamental flaws in this legislation. The bill that passed is a loss for the country, and one whose consequences our children will feel for years to come unless Democrats regain control of Congress. If Democrats controlled Congress, I am confident we would put an end to this dangerous level of spending while continuing to provide for the American people." 

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