Washington, DC – Today, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith made the following statement indicating his opposition to the FY 2017 NDAA:

“I have been extremely concerned about this bill’s attempt to take $18 billion from Overseas Contingency Operations, setting up a funding cliff that puts our men and women in the field at risk next year. This scheme degrades military readiness by taking funds out of OCO. It also sets the stage to break the budget agreement reached just last October, which will make it more difficult to reach similar deals in the future that we will need in order to make necessary investments in our military, infrastructure, public health, and other critical priorities.

“Now, Republicans have used a procedural trick to overturn a decision by Members of the House regarding women’s equality in the Selective Service. They have misused the rules process to avoid votes on women’s equality, labor laws, and taxpayer-funded discrimination against LGBT individuals, while adding further restrictions on transfers from the Guantanamo Detention Facility, cutting funds for nuclear nonproliferation, and adopting a range of other highly problematic provisions. These have tipped the balance of the bill considerably. I greatly appreciate the efforts of the majority to work with us on this bill, but unfortunately, without proper debate and vote by the whole House on these national issues, it is no longer a product I can support.”

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