Rep. Mike Rogers optimistic about reaching NDAA agreement
On Wednesday, Congressman Mike Rogers (R-AL03), the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, expressed optimism that the conference committee can reach an agreement on the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan version of the NDAA. The House Armed Services Committee did the same, but when the bill got to the floor of the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, Republicans added a number of amendments, including one overturning President Joe Biden’s controversial Defense Department abortion policy. The conference committee is tasked with passing a compromise NDAA that both Houses can pass, and the President will sign. “I am honored to chair the conference committee on the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act,” Chairman Rogers said. “And I am very pleased we have returned to regular order and are holding a formal conference. I commend Chairman [Jack] Reed and Ranking Member [Roger] Wicker for getting a bill through the Senate for the first time in two years and for all the work they did to get us into conference.” “The NDAA is one of the most consequential bills Congress considers,” continued Rogers. “All Members should have an opportunity to have their proposals fairly considered. Regular order guarantees that. It also sends an important signal to the men and women defending our freedom that Congress can function and will prioritize their needs above all else.” “Enacting an NDAA has never been more vital than it is today,” Rogers stated. “America and our allies face unprecedented and rapidly evolving threats from China. As well as ongoing threats from Russia, Iran, North Korea, and terrorist organizations throughout the world. These threats are real. We all just witnessed terrorists act on their threats against one of our closest allies. We all pray for Israel as it counters the most vile attack on its people since the Holocaust. All of these adversaries are aligned in their desire to weaken our allies and end American dominance. To stay ahead of these threats, DoD comes to Congress each year requesting critical new authorities and changes to existing law.” “This year, both the House and Senate NDAAs include critical new authorities to ensure our warfighters have what they need to deter our adversaries and prevail on future battlefields,” Rogers said. “These include: Provisions to expedite the delivery of new capabilities to the warfighter and enable the DoD to better partner with innovators in private industry. Provisions in both bills to revitalize our industrial base, secure our supply chains, and distribute our logistics are vital to ensuring we prevail in conflict with our adversaries, especially China. Provisions that implement AUKUS and expand military cooperation and expedite weapons transfers to Israel, Taiwan, and other allies and partners are needed now to deter our adversaries. And important new authorities that increase servicemember pay and allowances and expand benefits available to military families.” “Over 50 percent of our discretionary budget is spent on defense,” Rogers explained. “The House bill includes several provisions to require accountability from this administration and to end the woke policies being forced on our servicemembers by left-wing bureaucrats. Everyone here appreciates that we have a divided government. That enacting legislation as critical as the NDAA will require compromise. But compromise means we both have to swallow some things that we may not like.” One of the key sticking points has been the Biden administration’s abortion policy. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) has been holding up senior military promotions for nearly a year. Tuberville and Republicans hope that House GOP provisions overturning the President’s abortion policy remain in the final version of the NDAA that comes out of committee. Democrats and the Whitehouse would prefer a bill that does not address abortion. As chair of the conference committee, Rogers is under pressure from both sides. Mike Rogers has represented Alabama’s Third Congressional District since 2002. He is seeking a twelfth term but faces two GOP primary challengers. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Senate plots to break Tommy Tuberville’s hold on military nominees
Democrats on the Senate Rules Committee advanced a resolution on Tuesday that would allow the Senate to override U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Alabama) nine-month hold on military promotions. Tuberville spoke at length with Alabama reporters on Wednesday about this development. “What’s happening now, that I have been about nine or ten months of holds on admirals and generals – flag officers, the Democrats have said we are just going around Coach,” Sen. Tuberville said. “We are going to go to the Rules Committee (and) pass a new rule that we can go around him, and for the next year and a half, we won’t have holds from the minority part of the Senate. That will probably happen in maybe around the first of December. It did come out of committee. It did come out of the rules committee, so now they will have the vote in the next couple of weeks to go around me.” Senate rules require 60 votes to change the rules, meaning that with a 51 to 49 split, Democrats need Republican support to pass the rule change. “They have got to have nine Republicans,” Tuberville said. “I can’t imagine nine Republicans siding with the Democrats. Number one against pro-life. Number two against executive overreach and then siding with the Democrats on anything because they don’t side with us on anything.” The resolution was led by Democratic Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island and independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. The rule would temporarily change the process, allowing for the nominees to be approved en masse, letting the chamber more quickly vote on the promotions that Tuberville has slowed with his opposition. It would require the support of all Democrats and independents and at least nine Republicans. Several GOP Senators have expressed their frustrations with Tuberville over this publicly. It remains to be seen if there are nine of them willing to stand with Democrats and risk backlash from the pro-life movement over it to pass the rule change. Several Republican Senators have become frustrated with Tuberville’s intransigence on this and have spent hours on the Senate floor criticizing him on this topic – hours that could have been spent confirming military promotions simply by bringing a petition to override Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-New York) stranglehold on the Senate calendar. Tuberville said he has had no assurances from his Republican colleagues that they will not cross over and vote with Democrats on this rule change. “I have not been assured,” Tuberville said. “I think there is going to be some people on the Republican side that say that we need to get this over with and not hold up these promotions. We don’t need to do that because it is not affecting readiness at all. I do have a couple of things that I am working on maybe to avoid this to get this over with before a vote happens. Right now, the Republican Party is going to have to decide whether they are going to be pro-life or vote for this resolution to pass to go around me. It is disturbing sometimes. I am not establishment. I vote for the people of Alabama, and I hope the rest of our delegation would vote for their state, and if they did that, they would vote against the Democrats.” One reporter asked if Tuberville’s holds were pro-life versus the military. Sen. Tuberville objected to that verbiage. “These holds are not pro-life versus military,” Tuberville answered. “The Republicans – all Republicans – we’re pro-life, and we’re also for the military. The Democrats are not for either. They are definitely not for the life of the unborn, and they really don’t support the military like Republicans do, so let’s go down that avenue.” Tuberville remains staunchly opposed to the Pentagon’s abortion policy, which allows servicemembers and their families stationed in states where abortion is restricted to take time off and be reimbursed for travel expenses for the procedure. Critics say his tactic of holding up the promotions threatens military readiness and unfairly punishes service members. “I am doing what is right for the people of Alabama and the American people, and hopefully my Republican colleagues stick with me on that,” Tuberville concluded. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) and every other Republican on the committee voted against the resolution, though they have told reporters that they are still trying to find a solution with Tuberville. The body could bring the nominations as part of regular order as the Founders intended, or the Defense Department could reverse the controversial policy change prompting Tuberville’s hold in the first place. Democrats are unwilling to compromise on either point and have rejected a plan in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives’ version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would override the Defense Department policy that created this conflict. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tommy Tuberville to seek floor vote on No. 2 Marine leader after commandant hospitalized
Ashley Murray, Alabama Reflector WASHINGTON — Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who for months has been blocking hundreds of military promotions in protest of a Pentagon abortion policy, plans to call a floor vote on the nominee for second-in-command of the U.S. Marines Corps after its top leader Gen. Eric M. Smith suffered a health emergency Sunday. Tuberville, an Alabama Republican, gathered the required petition signatures to bring an individual vote to the floor on Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney, nominee for the Corps’ assistant commandant. President Joe Biden nominated Mahoney in July. “The vote could be as soon as Thursday,” said Steven Stafford, spokesperson for Tuberville’s office. Stafford said Tuberville collected the 16 signatures he needed in roughly 30 minutes during the Senate’s weekly lunch on Tuesday. Stafford would not disclose names but said all signees are Republicans. Tuberville’s list of blocked nominees grew to 378 as of Friday but could balloon to 650 by year’s end, according to the Pentagon. Sens. Jack Reed, chair of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, and Kyrsten Sinema are mulling a proposal to bypass Tuberville’s holds and allow promotions to reach the floor en bloc rather than individually. Text of the proposal is not yet available, according to a spokesperson for Sinema, an independent who represents Arizona. Smith remains hospitalized, but further details about his condition and what happened Sunday were not released. “Due to the expressed wishes of his family, we are respecting their privacy at this difficult time. The Marine Corps will provide more information once it becomes available,” a Pentagon spokesperson said Tuesday. Reed issued a statement on Smith just after 4:30 p.m. Eastern Monday. “I am wishing General Smith a speedy recovery. He is one of our nation’s finest and toughest leaders, and I hope he will return to full strength soon. My thoughts are with General Smith and his family,” the Rhode Island Democrat said. Tuberville also sits on the Armed Services Committee. Smith was confirmed in September after Tuberville pursued a similar effort to force individual votes for top military nominees. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York set up the votes to confirm Gen. Charles Q. Brown as the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Randy George to Army chief of staff, and Smith. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has warned the delayed promotions are a threat to national security. Defense abortion policy In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to strike down the federal right to abortion, the Pentagon announced that service members could receive leave and travel allowances when seeking abortions in areas of the country where it remains legal. The court’s decision triggered a patchwork of state-by-state abortion laws. About 80,000 active-duty female troops are based in states where legislatures enacted full or partial bans, according to a September 2022 analysis by the RAND Corporation, a think tank that has long produced defense research. Tuberville maintains the department’s policy is illegal. The Pentagon and Biden administration refute that claim. Alabama Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Alabama Reflector maintains editorial independence. Follow Alabama Reflector on Facebook and Twitter.
Katie Britt: “We want Hamas to be destroyed”
U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) held a bipartisan press conference in Israel, which is entering its third week of war with Hamas. The Sens., led by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin (D-Maryland), discussed what they saw and heard while on the ground in Israel Sunday. The delegation of Senators visited Israel as part of an official trip to the Middle East to meet with key leaders, advocate for regional stability and long-term sustainable peace, and emphasize the United States’ unequivocal support for Israel in the wake of the brutal terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7. Britt said, “I want to start by thanking Senator Graham. Thank you for getting this group together. You and Senator Cardin put together a group of bipartisan senators – each of us set foot in this country not as a Democrat or a Republican. We set foot here united as Americans, standing shoulder to shoulder with Israel.” The Senators met with the families of Israelis who were taken hostage by Hamas and are being held in Gaza. Israeli authorities say that Hamas has taken 222 hostages. “When we walked in the room today and talked to the families of these hostages, I listened as a mom, I listened as a wife, as a daughter, as a sister,” Sen. Britt said. “Thinking what these families are going through, thinking what each individual hostage is going through is absolutely unbearable.” Over 1,100 people were killed and 2,800 wounded when Hamas fighters came across the Gaza border on a murderous rampage October 7. “When we watched the videos and heard the stories today, the things that happened were unthinkable,” Britt said. “The loss of life – kids having to watch their parents be murdered. Parents having to watch their children be burned to death, women having to be raped, kids decapitated. It’s disgusting, it’s despicable, and it is pure evil.” Britt said that Israel has a right to defend herself. “Make no mistake, I believe that people of all faiths can coexist in peace and prosperity,” said Britt. “But I do not believe that good can coexist with evil. And when evil rears its head, we must look it in the eyes, and we must take it down – and Hamas is pure evil. Israel has every right to defend herself – and not only the right – they have the obligation, the obligation to their children and their children’s children. They have an obligation to the innocent. They have an obligation to the peace-loving people of this world. And that is ultimately what we want. We want Hamas to be destroyed, and we want peace to be restored.” “President Reagan said that ‘evil cannot exist if the good are unafraid,” said Britt. “Iran, Hamas – we stand here today to tell you that we are unafraid. We stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel. We will take you down.” In addition to Senators Britt, Graham, and Cardin, the delegation included Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-South Dakota), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine), Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island), and Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Chris Coons (D-Delaware), Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut). “Thank you all. Ten percent of the United States Senate is in Israel,” said Sen. Graham. “Ten percent of the United States Senate is in Israel because we care. Five Republicans and five Democrats. If I had a bigger plane, we probably would have brought the entire Senate.” “The goal going forward is to take from this horror and try to make this a better world,” Graham said. “I saw things today that I didn’t think were possible in 2023. I’ve seen grown men who’ve been fighting wars all of their lives be stunned by what they saw. The level of barbaric behavior here is beyond my ability to explain it.” Hamas released two American women, a mother and daughter. Hamas had taken hostages just before the Senators arrived in the war-torn country. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com
Katie Britt votes for legislation to fight fentanyl epidemic
U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) recently joined her Senate colleagues in passing the bipartisan Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act. This legislation seeks to stop the flow of deadly fentanyl into our country by choking off the income source of those who traffic synthetic opioids. Drug overdoses killed 107,000 Americans in 2021, and 65% of those deaths were attributed to fentanyl. “The devastation that this deadly poison has brought to our communities, schools, and families must end now,” said Sen. Britt. “Truly stopping this nationwide crisis means that we have to go after the well-financed, well-organized, and well-connected individuals profiting from fentanyl trafficking. This bipartisan legislation would ensure that the Treasury Department has the tools they need to protect Americans and hold bad actors accountable. I’m proud to have cosponsored this legislation and grateful to my colleagues for supporting it.” This legislation was introduced by Ranking Member Senator Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) and cosponsored by Senator Britt, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Senate Committee on Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island), Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), and 59 other senators. “Mexican traffickers and Chinese drug suppliers are fueling America’s fentanyl crisis. My FEND Off Fentanyl Act targets the financial assets of these criminal groups, cutting off their income right at the source,” said Sen. Scott. “By including this bill in the NDAA, we’re one step closer to ensuring our country can defend our communities from this deadly drug and protecting our national security.” The FEND Off Fentanyl Act is a bill designed to target the flow of the deadly narcotic into the United States by empowering the U.S. Department of the Treasury to target, sanction, and block the financial assets of transnational criminal organizations trafficking fentanyl. In addition, the proceeds from any seized assets would be used to further law enforcement efforts. “Truly stopping the influx of this deadly poison into our communities, schools, and families means that we have to go after the well-financed, well-organized, and well-connected individuals profiting from fentanyl trafficking,” said Senator Britt. “The fact that this legislation passed the committee unanimously shows that the Senate is working on a bipartisan basis to ensure that we empower the Treasury Department with the tools they need to protect Americans and hold bad actors accountable. I urge Senator Schumer to bring this legislation to the Senate floor with the urgency this crisis demands.” The FEND Off Fentanyl Act was passed as part of the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for Americans under 45, and more than 150 people die each day from overdoses related to fentanyl. Multiple national organizations have supported the bill, including Mothers Against Prescription Drug Abuse (MAPDA), the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Sheriffs’ Association, and FDD Action. Last year, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized over 379 million deadly doses of fentanyl. That is enough to supply a lethal dose to every American. Given the sharp increase in fentanyl-caused deaths, Scott claims that it is clear that a staggering amount of fentanyl is making its way into our country from the chemical suppliers in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and drug cartels in Mexico. Katie Britt is the Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee for the Senate Committee on Appropriations. Sen. Britt has led hearings on fentanyl and spoken out against the Biden Administration’s proposed budget cuts to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Britt was elected to the Senate in 2022. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Katie Britt votes for National Defense Authorization Act
On Thursday, U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (NDAA) on a bipartisan basis. The NDAA has been approved annually by Congress for the last 63 years. The NDAA authorizes funding for the U.S. military for the next year, outlines national security priorities, and sets targets for modernizing defense technologies and munitions. “With adversaries such as China, Russia, and Iran becoming increasingly more aggressive, there is no more important priority than our national defense,” said Sen. Britt. “To achieve peace through strength, our warfighters must remain the best trained, best equipped, and best resourced in the world. This legislation makes great strides to ensure that we maintain a robust military through strategic investments and modernization efforts. I will always make the security of our country and the wellbeing of our servicemembers a top priority.” Senator Britt secured passage of a key amendment in the legislation requiring the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to submit a report to Congress on the feasibility of allowing American servicemembers and their dependents to keep previously retained mental healthcare via telehealth services while transferring between postings. Sen. Jack Reed (R-Rhode Island) chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee. “This forward-looking defense bill will go a long way toward keeping the American people safe, deterring conflict, and confronting the national security threats we face,” Sen. Reed said. “This bipartisan NDAA provides a historic level of support for our troops and their families, including the largest military pay raise in decades. It authorizes record-level investments in the people, platforms, and programs that our forces need to safeguard the nation and advance U.S. interests worldwide. The bill also accelerates the development of cutting-edge technologies like hypersonics and artificial intelligence to provide our forces with key advantages on the battlefield.” “Our bipartisan approach netted a major win for America’s military men and women and their families,” Reed added. “I appreciate Majority Leader Schumer and Minority Leader McConnell for working to facilitate a thorough debate that allowed all senators to engage and contribute to this bill. I salute Senator Wicker for his continued leadership and partnership. I look forward to working together in conference to produce a strong NDAA that takes on the real threats facing our military.” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) is the Ranking Member of the Committee. “Although I would have preferred a topline defense spending number that better reflects the most dangerous threat environment that the United States has faced since World War II, I appreciate the hard work that the Senate has put into this year’s NDAA,” Sen. Wicker said. “The bill we have delivered takes care of our troops with a substantial pay raise and reforms that will improve quality of life for our servicemen and women. We are also taking pivotal steps toward the monumental investments in our naval power, munitions capacity, and defense industrial base that the moment demands. The bill also harnesses defense innovation through procurement reform and investments in high-tech research.” The Fiscal Year 2024 NDAA authorizes a 5.2% military pay raise, invests in the U.S. Navy, rebuilds our nation’s arsenal by adding critical munitions to the Pentagon’s multi-year procurement (MYP) program, prioritizes individual merit in our military, helps secure the southern border by using previously procured materials to continue building the border wall, and prevents foreign adversaries from investing in, purchasing, leasing, or acquiring American farmland. The 63rd annual NDAA authorizes a total budget of $886 billion in fiscal year 2024 funding for national defense. Within this topline, the legislation authorizes $845 billion for the Department of Defense (DOD) and $32 billion for national security programs within the Department of Energy (DOE). The U.S. House of Representatives passed a separate version of the NDAA earlier this month along partisan lines, with Republicans adding amendments on the House floor that Democrats would not support. The two chambers are expected to take the bill to a Conference Committee to work out differences and agree on a final version before the end of the year. “The Congress once again has an opportunity to send an unmistakable message to China and Russia that we are stalwart in our commitment to a ‘peace through strength’ agenda,” Wicker said. “I am hopeful that working alongside the House, we will send a bill to the president’s desk that puts our national defense on a path toward improving our deterrent capabilities. I am especially grateful for the partnership of Chairman Reed on my first NDAA as ranking member.” To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Joe Biden says Tommy Tuberville should drop his ‘irresponsible’ protest and OK military nominees
President Joe Biden on Thursday said it is “irresponsible” of a Republican senator from Alabama to block confirmation of military officers in protest of a Defense Department policy that pays for travel when a service member has to go out of state to get an abortion or reproductive care. “He’s jeopardizing U.S. security by what he’s doing,” Biden said of Sen. Tommy Tuberville. “It’s just totally irresponsible in my view.” More than 260 nominations are stalled by Tuberville, including Biden’s pick for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, America’s top military officer. The U.S. Marine Corps is currently without a confirmed leader for the first time in a century because of the block. It also affects scores of one-, two- and three-star officers who are assigned to new base commands. “I’d be willing to talk to him if I thought there was any possibility of changing his ridiculous position,” Biden said during a press conference with the president of Finland. Biden traveled to Finland as a show of support for the new NATO member, following the NATO summit in Lithuania this week. “The idea that we’re injecting into fundamental foreign policy decisions what, in fact, is a domestic social debate on social issues is bizarre,” Biden said. There were also efforts at the Pentagon to encourage Tuberville to drop his opposition. The senator told reporters later Thursday that he had just spoken with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and expected to speak with him again. The block also affects the families of nominees, who usually relocate over the summer to their new military communities so school-age children can get settled in before fall. And it stretches to hundreds more younger military personnel who don’t need Senate confirmation but are still affected by the hold because they are assigned to serve as staff or aides to the relocating generals. Those aides move their families as well. So they are essentially stuck, too. A proposal last month to hold a Senate debate over Pentagon abortion policies as part of the annual defense bill negotiations was seen by some senators as the best prospect for getting Tuberville to lift those holds, but he opposed it. The Alabama senator’s action bucks decades of precedent in which swaths of military officers and promotions are approved by voice vote and with no objections. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., has said that if the Senate were to vote individually on the 260 nominations, it would take 27 days with the Senate working “around the clock” or 84 days if the Senate worked eight hours a day. Tuberville has said he wants Democrats to solve the problem by introducing legislation on the abortion policy and then holding a vote on it. Tuberville does not have his own bill to change the policy. “I’m leaving it up to them,” Tuberville said Wednesday. But Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says that Republican leaders, most of whom have criticized Tuberville’s holds, should prevail on the senator to change his mind. Biden, too, said Tuberville’s fellow GOP senators should work to stop his block. “I’m confident the mainstream Republican party does not support what he’s doing, but they got to stand up and be counted. That’s how it ends,” Biden said. Republished with the permission of the Associate Press.
Katie Britt and colleagues advance bipartisan FEND Off Fentanyl Act
On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Katie Britt joined colleagues on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs in unanimously voting to favorably report the FEND Off Fentanyl Act and send the legislation to the full Senate for consideration. The Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act is a bipartisan bill designed to target the flow of the deadly narcotic into the United States by empowering the U.S. Department of the Treasury to target, sanction, and block the financial assets of transnational criminal organizations trafficking fentanyl. In addition, the proceeds from any seized assets would be used to further law enforcement efforts. Senator Britt is a co-sponsor of the bill alongside Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Ranking Member Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Senate Committee on Armed Services Chairman Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and a bipartisan group of 50 other senators. Sen. Tommy Tuberville is also a co-sponsor. Sen. Brown wrote on Twitter, “Today, with overwhelming and bipartisan support, the @SenateBanking and Housing Committee passed two bills that will make our communities safer and our economy fairer.” Today, with overwhelming and bipartisan support, the @SenateBanking and Housing Committee passed two bills that will make our communities safer and our economy fairer. pic.twitter.com/NGRFcw79gh — Senate Banking and Housing Democrats (@SenateBanking) June 21, 2023 “Truly stopping the influx of this deadly poison into our communities, schools, and families means that we have to go after the well-financed, well-organized, and well-connected individuals profiting from fentanyl trafficking,” said Senator Britt. “The fact that this legislation passed the committee unanimously shows that the Senate is working on a bipartisan basis to ensure that we empower the Treasury Department with the tools they need to protect Americans and hold bad actors accountable. I urge Senator Schumer to bring this legislation to the Senate floor with the urgency this crisis demands.” Fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 45, and more than 150 people die each day from overdoses related to fentanyl. In February, Sen. Britt and colleagues introduced the No Coyote Cash Act, a bill aimed at criminalizing payments made with the intent of financing unlawful entry into the U.S. and penalizing convicted foreign aliens who have violated this law by making them deportable and inadmissible for reentrance.
Tommy Tuberville defends his hold on military promotions over abortions being performed by military
In a Tuesday Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville urged U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to reverse the Department of Defense policy that would provide taxpayer-funded abortions. “The military has performed abortions for years,” Tuberville said. “All were cases of rape, incest, and harm to the mom. Over the past 40 years, I don’t recall one military person ever complaining that we weren’t performing enough abortions, nor did the military raise alarm that our service men and women were being placed in areas that had restrictive policies on abortion. Poland’s restrictive policies. Japan. Djibouti. All these theaters have [restriction on] abortion policy, yet our military changed the policy to do this job in these different theaters.” “As of 12 days ago, y’all got the American taxpayer on the hook to pay for travel and time off for elective abortions,” said Tuberville. “And you did not make this with anybody in this room or Congress taking a vote. In fact, this contradicts what Congress has actually voted for. Most of us, some of us in the room, if not all senators that have been complaining about this, have voted for the Hyde Amendment many, many times. But now my colleagues on the left think this abortion issue is good for a campaign, and that’s what this shouldn’t be about. I’m not going to let our military be politicized.” Tuberville also addressed General Mark Milley in the SASC committee meeting about the military’s failure to hit its recruiting goals. “Given what we’ve put our troops through in the past two years, it’s no wonder that the Army missed its goal last year by 15,000 soldiers,” Tuberville said. “General, you know, that is an entire division. We can’t afford that. And it’s getting worse. The Navy and Air Force will probably miss their numbers this year. Yet some of my colleagues claim that the real crisis is my hold on the promotion of 158 generals and flag officers. Mind you, these were promotions that the majority leader can bring to the floor at any time. Those same people claim expanding abortion will make our military stronger. You know, I want to be clear on this. My hold has nothing to do with the Supreme Court decision to the access of abortion. This is about not forcing the taxpayers of this country to fund abortions. That’s been a bipartisan consensus for more than 40 years.” “I ran for Senate to serve on this committee,” Tuberville stated. “I ran because of my dad. He was a World War II veteran, and he earned 5 Bronze stars and a Purple Heart. And he died on active duty. I ran to support our warfighters. We owe our freedom to our troops. For fifty years, our all-volunteer force has answered the call. I think you would agree to that. Since 1973, we’ve asked a lot of America’s young volunteers to fight in Vietnam, Grenada, Bosnia, Somalia, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Afghanistan. They’ve never wavered. In boom times and in bust, young Americans have raised their right hands to defend the Constitution with their lives, if necessary.” “There are a number of things happening globally that indicate that we could be in a contest on any one given day,” Sec. Austin said. “Not approving the recommendations for promotions actually creates a ripple effect through the force that makes us far less ready than we need to be.” Sen. Tuberville is single-handedly blocking a handful of military promotions to protest a Pentagon directive that allows service members to provide abortion services to soldiers even in states like Alabama that have banned abortions. Tuberville is holding up 160 promotions, which usually sail through the Senate Armed Services Committee. “Clearly, on the DoD policy, I absolutely agree with Sen. Tuberville,” said Sen. Roger Wicker, the ranking Republican on the committee. “That said, there are a lot of military positions that need to be filled, and so we’re working with leadership and Sen. Tuberville to see what can be resolved.” HASC Chairman Jack Reed warned that Tuberville’s blockade would disrupt the military “at the highest levels,” but some Republicans are cheering on the former college football coach from the sidelines. Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, and HELP Committees. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Senate passes defense bill rescinding COVID vaccine mandate
A bill to rescind the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for members of the U.S. military and provide nearly $858 billion for national defense passed the Senate on Thursday and now goes to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. The bill provides for about $45 billion more for defense programs than Biden requested and roughly 10% more than last year’s bill as lawmakers look to account for inflation and boost the nation’s military competitiveness with China and Russia. It includes a 4.6% pay raise for servicemembers and the Defense Department’s civilian workforce. The Senate passed the defense policy bill by a vote of 83-11. The measure also received broad bipartisan support in the House last week. To win GOP support for the 4,408-page bill, Democrats agreed to Republican demands to scrap the requirement for service members to get a COVID-19 vaccination. The bill directs Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to rescind his August 2021 memorandum imposing the mandate. Before approving the measure, the Senate voted down a couple of efforts to amend it, including a proposal from Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., to speed the permitting process for energy projects. The effort had drawn fierce opposition from some environmental advocacy groups who worried it would accelerate fossil fuel projects such as gas pipelines and limit the public’s input on such projects. Manchin, who chairs the Senate Energy Committee, secured a commitment from Biden and Democratic leaders last summer to support the permitting package in return for his support of a landmark law to curb climate change. Machin’s legislation sets deadlines for completion of National Environmental Policy Act reviews for major energy and natural resource projects. It would require courts to consider litigation involving energy project permits on an expedited basis. It also directs federal agencies to permit the completion of a natural gas pipeline in his home state and Virginia “without further administrative or judicial delay or impediment.” “We’re on the verge of doing something unbelievable, but let me tell you, most of it will be for naught. Because without permitting reform, the United States of America is more litigious than any nation on earth,” Manchin told colleagues. Biden voiced his support for Manchin’s legislation a few hours before Thursday’s vote. He said far too many projects face delays and described Manchin’s amendment “as a way to cut Americans’ energy bills, promote U.S. energy security, and boost our ability to get energy projects built and connected to the grid.“ Not only did some environmental advocacy groups bash Manchin’s proposal, but so did many Republicans. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said it didn’t go far enough, calling it “reform in name only.” The amendment fell short of the 60 votes needed for passage, 47-47. An amendment from Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also went down to defeat. It would have allowed for the reinstatement of those service members discharged for failing to obey an order to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and compensate them for any pay and benefits lost as a result of the separation. “People serving our military are the finest among us. Over 8,000 were terminated because they refused to get this experimental vaccine, and so I’m urging all of my colleagues to support Senator Cruz’s and my amendment,” Johnson said. But opponents worried about the precedent of rewarding members of the military who disobeyed an order. Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said orders are not suggestions; they are commands. “What message do we send if we pass this bill? It is a very dangerous one,” Reed said. “What we’re telling soldiers is, ‘if you disagree, don’t follow the order, and then just lobby Congress, and they’ll come along, and they’ll restore your rank, or restore your benefits, or restore everything.’” The amendment failed, with 40 senators supporting it and 54 opposing it. The defense bill sets policy and provides a roadmap for future investments. Lawmakers will have to follow up with spending bills to bring many provisions to reality. It’s one of the final bills Congress is expected to approve before adjourning, so lawmakers were eager to attach their top priorities to it. The directive to rescind the vaccine mandate for service members proved to be among the most controversial provisions, but Democrats agreed to it to allow the bill to advance. As of early this month, about 99% of the active-duty troops in the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps had been vaccinated, and 98% of the Army. Service members who are not vaccinated are not allowed to deploy, particularly sailors or Marines on ships. There may be a few exceptions to that, based on religious or other exemptions and the duties of the service member. The vaccination numbers for the Guard and Reserve are lower, but generally, all are more than 90%. Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Democrats’ letter urges amendment to National Defense Authorization Act
Vetting human rights security cooperation programs is the focus of a letter sent to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees by a pair of Democrats. California Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, and 13 other federal legislators are urging the committees to include their amendment that would require vetting of human rights in cooperation programs within the fiscal year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act conference pact. According to the letter sent to Chairman Jack Reed, D-RI; Chairman Adam Smith, D-WA; Ranking Member Jim Inhofe, R-OK; and Ranking Member Mike Rogers, R-AL, members are pushing for House-ratified provisions of the Upholding Human Rights Abroad Act that would, if enacted, close loopholes in the Leahy Laws that would “guarantee human rights vetting” of U.S. security assistance that would prevent taxpayer funds from aiding human rights abusers. “This provision would strengthen the U.S. commitment to human rights by increasing vetting measures to ensure that recipients of U.S. support have not committed human rights violations or violations of international humanitarian law,” the members wrote in the letter. “Consistent with the Department of Defense Leahy Law, this provision allows for the use of a national security waiver.” The members wrote that the provisions would give the flexibility that would “continue to address U.S. national security priorities” that would allow the State Department to “undertake this additional vetting.” “This provision would help prevent civilian harm, ensure partner compliance with human rights, and improve intended long-term outcomes toward good governance, rule of law, peace, and human rights promotion,” the members wrote. The letter was also signed by Senators Dick Durbin, D-Ill; Patrick Leahy, D-VT; and Richard Blumenthal, D-CT; and Representatives Jason Crow, D-CO; Chrissy Houlahan, D-PA; Tom Malinowski, D-NJ; Joaquin Castro, D-TX; Albio Sires, D-NJ; Dina Titus, D-NV; Ted Lieu, D-CA; Colin Allred, D-TX-32; Gerry Connolly, D-VA; and Dean Phillips, D-MN. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Family separation policy starts dividing Republicans
The emotional policy of separating children from their parents is also starting to divide Republicans and their allies as Democrats turn up the pressure. Former first lady Laura Bush called the policy “cruel” and “immoral” while GOP Sen. Susan Collins expressed concern about it and a former adviser to President Donald Trump said he thought the issue was going to hurt the president at some point. Religious groups, including some conservative ones, are protesting. Mrs. Bush made some of the strongest comments yet about the policy from the Republican side of the aisle. “I live in a border state. I appreciate the need to enforce and protect our international boundaries, but this zero-tolerance policy is cruel. It is immoral. And it breaks my heart,” she wrote in a guest column for the Washington Post Sunday. She compared it to the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II, which she called “one of the most shameful episodes in U.S. history.” Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said she favors tighter border security, but expressed deep concerns about the child separation policy. “What the administration has decided to do is to separate children from their parents to try to send a message that if you cross the border with children, your children are going to be ripped away from you,” she said. “That’s traumatizing to the children who are innocent victims, and it is contrary to our values in this country.” Former Trump adviser Anthony Scaramucci said in a weekend interview that the child separation interview could be dangerous for Trump. He said the president “should be immediately fixing this problem.” “This is a fuse that has been lit,” he said. “The president is going to get hurt by this issue if it stays out there very, very long.” The signs of splintering of GOP support come after longtime Trump ally, the Rev. Franklin Graham, called the policy “disgraceful.” Several religious groups, including some conservative ones, have pushed to stop the practice of separating immigrant children from their parents. This pressure is coming as White House officials have tried to distance themselves from the policy. Trump blames Democrats falsely for the situation. The administration put the policy in place and could easily end it after it has led to a spike in cases of split and distraught families. “Nobody likes” breaking up families and “seeing babies ripped from their mothers’ arms,” said presidential counselor Kellyanne Conway. Nearly 2,000 children were separated from their families over a six-week period in April and May after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a new “zero-tolerance” policy that refers all cases of illegal entry for criminal prosecution. U.S. protocol prohibits detaining children with their parents because the children are not charged with a crime and the parents are. Trump plans to meet with House Republicans on Tuesday to discuss pending immigration legislation amid an election-season debate over one of his favorite issues. The House is expected to vote this week on a bill pushed by conservatives that may not have enough support to pass, and a compromise measure with key proposals supported by the president. The White House has said Trump would sign either of those. Conway rejected the idea that Trump was using the kids as leverage to force Democrats to negotiate on immigration and his long-promised border wall, even after Trump tweeted Saturday: “Democrats can fix their forced family breakup at the Border by working with Republicans on new legislation, for a change!” Asked whether the president was willing to end the policy, she said: “The president is ready to get meaningful immigration reform across the board.” To Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the administration is “using the grief, the tears, the pain of these kids as mortar to build our wall. And it’s an effort to extort a bill to their liking in the Congress.” Schiff said the practice was “deeply unethical” and that Republicans’ refusal to criticize Trump represented a “sad degeneration” of the GOP, which he said had become “the party of lies.” “There are other ways to negotiate between Republicans and Democrats. Using children, young children, as political foils is abhorrent,” said Sen Jack Reed, D-R.I. Even first lady Melania Trump, who has tended to stay out of contentious policy debates, waded into the emotional issue. Her spokeswoman says that Mrs. Trump believes “we need to be a country that follows all laws,” but also one “that governs with heart.” “Mrs. Trump hates to see children separated from their families and hopes both sides of the aisle can finally come together to achieve successful immigration reform,” spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said. The House proposals face broad opposition from Democrats, and even if a bill does pass, the closely divided Senate seems unlikely to go along. Trump’s former chief strategist said Republicans would face steep consequences for pushing the compromise bill because it provides a path to citizenship for young “Dreamer” immigrants brought to the country illegally as children. Steve Bannon argued that effort risked alienating Trump’s political base and contributing to election losses in November, when Republicans hope to preserve their congressional majorities. Conway and Schiff appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Collins was on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Lujan and Bannon spoke on ABC’s “This Week,” and Scaramucci was on Fox 11 in Los Angeles. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
