Rep. Veasey Votes in Favor of FY16 NDAA

Washington, D.C. — Congressman Marc Veasey, TX-33, member of the House Armed Services Committee released the following statement after voting in favor of H.R. 1735, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016:

"Today, I voted in support of H.R. 1735, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016, a bill that was reported from the House Armed Services Committee with nearly unanimous support. I am honored to serve on the House Armed Services Committee that serves to provide proper resources for our troops and keep our country safe. I believe this bill accomplishes those goals.

While no bill is perfect and there are some provisions that I disagree with, this bill includes numerous provisions that I strongly support, such as my bipartisan amendment that requires the Secretary of Defense to evaluate how allowing DREAMERs to serve in our military would impact our military readiness. I believe an objective and unbiased analysis will show that allowing patriotic DREAMERs to serve in our military and put their lives on the line for the only country they have ever known will greatly improve our national security and military recruitment.

In addition, this bill contains important funding for key national security programs that are critical for the DFW Metroplex, like funding for six additional F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, an increase that was accepted at my request, and my amendment to provide an additional $75 million for digital upgrades to the V-22 Osprey. This bill also contains a 2.3% increase in military pay for our troops and a prohibition on conducting another round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) that could harm Texas military installations."