Washington D.C.Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, made the following statement after the House passed the Fiscal Year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act:

“I want to thank Chairman McKeon, all members of the House of Representatives and staff for their hard work on this important piece of legislation.

“Overall, this bill prioritizes our troops deployed in Afghanistan, and around the world by ensuring that they have the tools and resources they need to do their job and ensure national security.  As I have outlined vigorously throughout this process, I do have concerns with this bill, but it is good start that sets the right priorities.  As we move forward with this process, I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to address some of the shortfalls with this bill.”