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For Immediate Release:
October 8, 2009 |
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Contact: Sharon P. Axson (843) 747-4175 |
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Brown Slams Democrats for Piling Political Priorities
on the Backs of Our Troops
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"Democrats must refocus their priorities and realize that
putting their political motives before our troops
endangers our national security." |
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WASHINGTON- Today, Congressman Henry E. Brown, Jr. issued the following statement after House Democrats tacked a completely unrelated and unconstitutional “hate crimes” bill onto the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, funding for military operations that is traditionally free from political manipulation:
“This is yet another example of Democrats playing politics with our troops. As a consistently strong supporter of the men and women fighting for our freedoms at home and abroad, it is unfortunate that I was forced to vote against their funding due to the inclusion of the hate crimes provision.
Democrats have taken a generally clean, yearly vote and used it to push their personal priorities through Congress. This bill should be solely about to funding our troops, and it’s a shame that political games manuevering has piled controversial policies on their backs.
I am opposing the “hate crimes” bill as standalone legislation, and I truly question the Democrats’ priorities in including it in the Defense Authorization bill. Instead of focusing on the pressing needs of our troops, this bill advances a social agenda which would mandate unequal justice based on the motive of the accused and whether or not the victim belonged to a “protected class.” Not only does this bill intrude on all Americans’ 14th Amendment right to equal protection under the law, but it could also have a chilling effect on First Amendment rights.
Democrats must refocus their priorities and realize that putting their political agenda before our troops endangers our national security. Our military, who risk their lives daily to protect us, deserve better than this in Washington.”
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