Thread: GOP Reps Slam ‘Amnesty Amendment’ Added To NDAA

by Caroline May
30 Apr 2015

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) is expressing outrage that the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act includes an amendment encouraging the Secretary of Defense to consider allowing illegal immigrants granted executive amnesty to serve in the military.

“It makes no sense to me that, at the same time the Army is downsizing and issuing pink slips to American soldiers serving in Afghanistan, there are Congressmen who help illegal aliens deprive American citizens of military service opportunities,” Brooks, who serves on House Armed Services Committee, said.

Thursday the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) passed the FY 2016 NDAA. Wednesday the committee approved an amendment to the NDAA offered by Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) to encourage the Defense Secretary to consider allowing illegal immigrants granted President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to serve in the military.

“By statute, the Secretary can authorize the enlistment of non-citizens when it is ‘vital to the national interest.’ And enabling the best and brightest in our nation to serve in uniform, including DREAMers, is clearly ‘vital to the national interest,’” Gallego explained Wednesday introducing his amendment, according to prepared remarks.

Brooks opposed the amendment.

“It’s appalling that some members of the Republican conference, and frankly all members of the Democratic conference, place illegal immigrants on pedestals over American citizens, contrary to the needs and wishes of the American people,” he said.

The NDAA overall passed out of committee on a vote of 60-2 Thursday.

Brooks continued, saying undocumented immigrants are taking jobs away from Americans and this amendment would serve to continue that trend in military services.

“It is no wonder that, in the face of such economic hostility emanating from Washington, America’s youth are too often despondent and all-to-willing to express their dissatisfaction via arson, assaults, riots, and other forms of criminal conduct,” he said.

Brooks went on to promise that he will work to push back against the amendment.

“I cannot speak for other Washington elected officials but, as for me, I was elected to protect and promote the interests of Americans, not illegal aliens,” he said. “As such, I will continue my fight to put Americans first as we work to remove Rep. Gallego’s language from the NDAA prior to House passage.”

Brooks was not the only Republican lawmaker exercised about the addition. Rep. Steve King (R-IA) also sounded a note of disappointment at the “amnesty amendment.”

“This policy would provide a fast track to citizenship for those accepted into a program Congress has voted to defund three times,” King said Thursday.

“It is incomprehensible that any House Committee would encourage using DACA to expand the President’s amnesty agenda further. It is even more disappointing as the NDAA is a bill designed to keep this nation safe from its enemies at a time of war, not about granting citizenship to illegal immigrants,” he said.

The Iowa lawmaker continued, promising to fight against the amendment.

“It is the wrong policy on the wrong bill at the worst time,” King said. “This will bring about a major fight among those of us who have given our oath to support and defend the Constitution and mean it and those who simply gave their oath. This is a dark day both for those that defend the Rule of Law and those that seek to keep the United States safe.”

http://www.breitbart.com/big-governm...added-to-ndaa/

Way to go, Mo!! You tell 'em!!

If anyone can tell me how long we have before this goes to the house floor, please post that info here and message me with it please.

W

House panel approves $612 billion authorization bill

By Leo Shane III, Staff writer10:55 a.m. EDT April 30, 2015


(Photo: Wikipedia)


The House Armed Services Committee early Thursday adopted a $612 billion defense authorization bill which would radically reform military retirement but reject changes to a host of other benefit trims proposed by the Pentagon.

By a 60-2 vote, the panel approved the annual budget legislation after almost 19 hours of debate, setting the stage for a full House vote in mid-May. The bill is one of the most-followed measures among the defense community, because of the hundreds of policy renewals and revisions involved.

This year, that includes provisions again rejecting Defense Department pleas for another base closure round, full funding for commissary operations despite Pentagon plans for trims, and passive support for a 2.3 percent pay raise despite White House insistence that a lower, 1.3 percent hike would better help control personnel costs.

The measure also outlines plans to plus up temporary war spending to more than $89 billion in fiscal 2016 in an effort to get around spending caps mandated under the 2011 Budget Control Act.

White House officials have threatened to veto any budget bills that fail to repeal those spending caps, but Republicans in Congress have instead opted to use the contingency funding as a way to boost military spending without providing budget relief for other, non-defense agencies.

The retirement reforms -- which follow recommendations from a two-year independent commission review -- would update the current 20-years, all-or-nothing system with a blended benefits package featuring 401(k) style investments for all troops.

Supporters have praised that move as finally giving some retirement benefits to the 83 percent of troops who serve less than 20 years, but opponents worry that plans to cut pension-style payouts by one-fifth could hurt retention of senior service members.

The measure includes a number of new provisions for handling of sexual assault cases, including expanded access to legal resources for victims and improved services for male victims.

But the House panel again rejected efforts to separate those prosecutions from the military chain of command, a priority of some advocates who argue the military justice system has proven inadequate to handle such cases.

The pay raise issue is likely only a temporary victory for supporters of a biggest boost to troops wallets.

Although panel members said they support the larger raise, they did not include any specific language in the measure mandating the 2.3 percent target. That would allow the president to easily substitute his lower, 1.3 percent hike later this year.

Unlike last year, the authorization bill draft does not include a freeze on basic pay for general and flag officers in paygrades O-7 through O-10.

Lawmakers also dismissed Pentagon plans to further trim back housing allowances, another personnel cost-savings move made in last year's bill.

The full House is expected to consider the authorization bill draft in mid-May, and the Senate Armed Services Committee expected to offer its own version around the same time.

Lawmakers will spend much of the summer reconciling the competing provisions in the hopes of sending the measure to the president's desk before the start of the new fiscal year in October.

http://www.militarytimes.com/story/m...oved/26622129/

Why do we continue to support politicians of both parties who obviously are now building an army within an army to oppose who? Americans that is who and Americans better darned well wake up that you DO NOT have until the next election to regain control of your nation. 60 -2 was the vote, and republicans have the majority? There is NO WAY that of good conscience I can support a republican, this is positive proof that they are not supporting us!!

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

If anyone can tell me how long we have before this goes to the house floor, please post that info here and message me with it please.

W

House Timeline For NDAA Announced Last Week - National Defense Authorization Act

posted on: Monday, March 23, 2015

Legislative Activity

National Defense Authorization Act

Last Monday, House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) provided a timeline for House action on the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). He said that the HASC subcommittees would mark up their portions of the annual policy measure the week of 20 April. The full committee will take up the bill on 29 April with a goal of getting it to the House floor the week of 13 May.


Unlike its House counterpart, the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) has traditionally considered the NDAA in closed sessions. However, SASC Chairman John McCain indicated the same day that he would defer to a majority of Members of the committee on whether to make the proceedings public.

http://www.natlawreview.com/article/...horization-act



The House Armed Services Committee early Thursday adopted a $612 billion defense authorization bill which would radically reform military retirement but reject changes to a host of other benefit trims proposed by the Pentagon.

By a 60-2 vote, the panel approved the annual budget legislation after almost 19 hours of debate, setting the stage for a full House vote in mid-May. The bill is one of the most-followed measures among the defense community, because of the hundreds of policy renewals and revisions involved.

http://www.alipac.us/f12/gop-reps-slam-%91amnesty-amendment%92-added-ndaa-319153/#post1460657