Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), released the following statement after voting in support of adopting the conference report for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
“Tonight, America witnessed Congress work according to the needs of the American people,” said Burgess. “The conference report continues the historic example of bipartisanship to authorize defense programs and funding in the NDAA. In the Constitution, Congress is given the power of the purse and the responsibility to provide for the common defense. I am pleased that this report removed several measures I opposed in the original House version of this legislation.
“Ensuring that our service members have the tools they need to complete their missions and continue to keep America safe must remain bipartisan. It was an honor to vote for and support this legislation.”
Conservative wins:
Important changes included in the final National Defense Authorization Act:
Protection for services members’ Second Amendment rights – no red flag gun law provisions.
No requirement for women to register for the draft.
No language that would have established an Office of Extremism at the Department of Defense.
Maintains Presidential authority over the D.C. National Guard instead of handing it over to the Mayor of D.C.
Prevents the transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees to the United States mainland.
Prohibits the Department of Defense from dishonorably discharging servicemembers that do not receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
