Reps. Lee, Pocan Urge Lower NDAA Spending Levels
WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Representatives Barbara Lee (CA-13) and Mark Pocan (WI-02), both co-founders and Co-Chairs of the Defense Spending Reduction Caucus and members of the House Appropriations Committee, sent a letter to House Armed Services Committee Chair Adam Smith today urging him and the committee to not pass a National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22 NDAA) that is larger than the level requested by President Biden earlier this year.
“As we watch the tragic humanitarian situation unfold in Afghanistan, we must reevaluate our priorities when it comes to cutting the bloated defense budget that has enabled 40 years of blank check wars around the globe,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee. “Despite trillions of dollars poured into our endless military spending, this budget has failed to meet the greatest threats that our nation and our world faces today, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, and the needs of 140 million people living in poverty. Now is the time to shift our investments away from endless wars and toward addressing human needs.”
“At a time when the United States is withdrawing from wars abroad, we should be committed to cutting our defense spending now more than ever,” Congressman Pocan said. “The FY22 NDAA should absolutely be lower than current spending levels, and in no way should it be even a penny more than what the Commander-in-Chief requested or what the House Appropriations committee approved. The threats of today are different than those of years past and cannot be solved by military might alone. COVID-19 remains the greatest threat to our country and the world, yet only a small percentage is vaccinated against this deadly disease. Climate change is destroying neighborhoods in the blink of an eye. We should be fighting these very real threats instead of authorizing more than what was requested to fund the slush funds of defense contractors.”
Click here to read the letter as delivered.