Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) urged her colleagues from across the aisle to get serious about protecting our national security and delivering for our nation’s troops. This week, the House of Representatives considered the National Defense Authorization Act, legislation that funds our military and defense operations for the year. Though this package is typically passed with robust bipartisan support, Republican House leadership added extreme provisions to the legislation that would hurt our troops and undermine America’s national security. Kuster voted against this extreme, partisan messaging bill.

“Our national security is too important to play political games with — and yet, that is exactly what the Republican majority has done. Rather than focusing on providing our men and women with the resources they need to confront growing threats around the globe, the Republican majority has chosen to stoke culture wars at home. 

“The National Defense Authorization Act should focus on strengthening our military, increasing America's defense, and promoting U.S. leadership abroad. Instead, the Republican leadership pushed through a bill that politicizes our military and puts our service members at greater risk — with one amendment making it harder for service members to obtain an abortion or to access reproductive health care even in the case of rape and military sexual assault. That is unacceptable. The incredible Americans who serve our country in uniform deserve better than this legislation, and that’s who I will fight for.”

Kuster, the daughter of a World War II veteran and prisoner of war, takes advocating for our nation’s military members and their families personally. She submitted bipartisan amendments to this year’s National Defense Authorization Act to improve transparency about sexual violence prevention and response training and provide additional mental health and suicide prevention resources to service members. The Republican majority refused to consider Kuster’s amendments. 

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