JONES VOTES AGAINST CUTS IN MILITARY BENEFITS

Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3) voted against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2015, which cuts military benefits and provides billions of dollars in spending toward President Obama’s unconstitutional expansion of military force in Iraq and Syria.

The NDAA for FY 2015 cuts military benefits by requiring a $3 increase in certain pharmacy co-pays and a 1 percent decrease in the housing allowance for uniformed service members.
 
In addition to cuts in military benefits, the NDAA for FY 2015 also includes President Obama’s $5 billion request to fund Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria.  Of that $5 billion, $3.4 billion will be used for airstrikes against ISIS and $1.6 billion will be used for training Sunni tribes and forces in Iraq.  Overall, the NDAA for FY 2015 authorizes $63.7 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan and elsewhere. 

“I cannot vote for a bill that cuts military benefits while funding wars that Congress never declared,” said Congressman Jones.  Congress repeatedly authorizes spending on undeclared wars that put our troops in danger and then has the audacity to cut the benefits of those they are unconstitutionally sending overseas to fight.  It’s just not right.” 

Congressman Jones also opposed a provision in the bill which directs the U.S. government to give away 2,300 acres in Arizona to a foreign-controlled corporation (Resolution Copper) without going through a competitive bidding process and without the approval of local native American Indian tribes who consider the land home.

The House of Representatives passed its version of the NDAA bill in the spring, and it has been in conference with the Senate until this month. The House-Senate conference version of the NDAA was filed in the House of Representatives late on Tuesday night, and was voted on today – less than 72 hours after it was filed. Once it passes the Senate, it will be sent to President Obama for him to sign into law.