[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 177 (Thursday, December 8, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1650-E1651]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PETER A. DeFAZIO

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 8, 2016

  Mr. DeFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I was absent December 2nd due to a medical 
appointment. Had I been present, I would have voted no on Roll Call 
Vote 600, agreeing to the conference report for the National Defense 
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017.
  This year's NDAA passed by the House of Representatives continues to 
contain spending for wars that were never authorized by Congress, 
mandates restrictions on closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay, and 
supplements Pentagon spending with $67.8 billion in Overseas 
Contingency Operation funds. For these reasons, I oppose the Fiscal 
Year 2017 NDAA.
  However, the NDAA did include a lot of meritorious provisions that I 
support including a 2.1 percent pay increase for our military men and 
women. Those who serve in uniform have already made extraordinary 
sacrifices for our country, and have earned and deserve a pay raise. I 
also strongly support the provisions that address the growing problem 
of sexual assault in the military by updating the Uniform Code of 
Military Justice and providing public access to court documents and 
proceedings.
  Additionally, I support the addition of language to direct the DOD to 
complete a review of all California Guard members who were impacted by 
the California National Guard Bonus Recoupment scandal and alleviate 
financial hardship for California Guardsmen who were erroneously paid 
bonuses. I am appalled that the Pentagon punished service members for

[[Page E1651]]

mismanagement by National Guard officials, and previously signed a 
letter to the Secretary of Defense demanding that the DOD halt 
recoupment efforts.
  Despite progress on these issues, I have serious concerns with the 
bill. I have always advocated for maintaining Congress's 
constitutionally-confirmed prerogative to declare war under the War 
Powers Act and limiting the President's authority to engage in armed 
conflict without the consent of Congress. I strongly oppose the NDAA's 
authorization of spending for wars that are not congressionally 
approved. The President has sent troops to Iraq, Syria and elsewhere 
without seeking an Authorization of Use of Military Force (AUMF), a 
violation of the War Powers Act.
  Additionally, the NDAA continues to bar the use of funds from 
transferring detainees from the Guantanamo Bay prison and prevents the 
President's plan to permanently close this facility. The prison at 
Guantanamo Bay has been a black eye for the United States, has eroded 
relationships with our allies, undermined U.S. missions, and put our 
troops at risk of retaliation.
  Most importantly, this bill fails to rein in the only federal agency 
that is not fully auditable and continues to authorize wasteful 
spending without implementing proper oversight of the Pentagon's 
budget. I am outraged by a recent report revealing $125 billion dollars 
in largely administrative, bureaucratic spending at the Pentagon was 
covered up. I have fought for fiscal responsibility and accountability 
at the Pentagon so that scarce funds can better be spent on the basic 
needs of our troops, obligations to veterans of past wars and other 
domestic priorities throughout my time in Congress.
  Although this year's NDAA contained significant bipartisan 
compromises it also failed to address some of my longtime concerns.

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