Rep. Roy's statement on the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act

WASHINGTON—On Thursday, Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21) released the following statement after voting against the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act:

This National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) — a 4,408-page, $860 billion bill crafted behind closed doors, dropped on the House floor with less than 48 hours to read, and passed only by suspending the House’s normal rules — is an insult to our military and the American people.

Our military should be focused on defending our republic and defeating our enemies, full stop. It is ridiculous that this defense bill included things like the reauthorization of the Coral Reef Conservation Act and taxpayer funds to “combat vaccine hesitancy” abroad, or a mandate to transition non-tactical military vehicles to electric vehicles. And while it drives us deeper in debt, the bill directs the DoD to support initiatives to provide “debt restructuring or relief to developing countries with unsustainable levels of debt.” It also green lights the Pentagon to move forward with an abortion travel fund for service members and their families. 

Thanks to the work of Republican leaders, this NDAA did not draft our daughters and took steps to protect unvaccinated service members. I am grateful for their hard work, but I could not support the final bill. I am indeed pleased that the bill rescinds the Biden Administration’s disastrous military COVID-19 vaccine mandate, but it does not protect unvaccinated service members from retribution, reinstate those wrongfully fired over the mandate, or expunge the records of those who lost or face losing GI bill benefits as a result. 

I introduced legislation that would do all of these things; Republicans owe it to the heroes harmed by Biden’s strategically foolish mandate to pass this or similar legislation next Congress. And we cannot stop there. Republicans should fight to eradicate every radical social experiment and climate project at the Pentagon and restore its focus to protecting our people and defending our interests.

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