Sen. Cruz: Democrats Played Politics With This NDAA At The Expense of Our Armed Forces

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement after voting against the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA):

“The annual NDAA is one of the most important bills that Congress takes up. The version passed by the Senate this year was no different, and contained a number of important provisions I fought hard to have included, such as my bipartisan bill with Sen. Shaheen (D-N.H.) to clarify once and for all that those involved in Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline will be subject to crippling and immediate American sanctions, and my legislation with Sen. Coons (D-Del.) to expand medical partnerships with our friend and ally Israel as we work together to develop coronavirus treatments and medications. 

“When the Senate passed the NDAA this summer, it was a strong bipartisan measure that fulfilled our Constitutional responsibility to provide for the national defense, it provided our troops with a well-deserved pay raise, and it invested in the next generation of innovative technology, equipment, and weaponry.

“But Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats have cynically taken advantage of this must-pass legislation to secure a host of partisan projects unrelated to national security and in conflict with the Constitution, including requiring the Department of Defense to rename our military bases in a political effort to erase our nation’s history and restricting the ability of law enforcement to protect our communities during violent riots, which over the last several months have taken the lives of far too many Americans. 

“Additionally, the bill interferes with the President’s Article II authority related to overseas deployments, significantly diminishing our ability to execute military strategies that protect our national interests and to wind down endless wars.

“Furthermore, this NDAA imposes onerous new business reporting requirements that I strongly opposed. These requirements would especially hurt small business owners and job creators, who would also lose important privacy protections.

“And in light of Big Tech’s mounting and flagrant abuses of power to suppress free speech, silent dissent, and undermine the integrity of our elections and the future of democracy, this legislation was also a missed opportunity to advance much-needed reforms to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, as called for by the President.

“For 59 consecutive years, Congress has been able to set aside partisan bickering and come together to strengthen America’s national security. Sadly, Democrats simply could not deny the temptation to use the NDAA to score political points.

“The NDAA should serve to strengthen our national security, and it is imperative that Congress respects and upholds this vital function. The men and women of our military deserve no less, and I remain committed to fighting each and every day for the men and women who steadfastly defend our nation.”

In July, Sen. Cruz secured 21 wins in the NDAA that championed Texas military communities as a pillar of America’s national security and advanced America’s defense capabilities against our adversaries – including China and Russia.

Since then, Democrats have included several concerning aspects into the final NDAA, including provisions limiting law enforcement’s ability to quell riots, arbitrarily stalling troop reductions in Germany, wasting taxpayer dollars on a second assessment of whether Russia was paying bounties for American troops – a debunked theory with no factual backing – delaying the operation of a 5G network by allowing the Department of Defense to thwart the Federal Communications Commission’s management of spectrum band, and the addition of the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA), a provision that significantly favors Wall Street and hurts small businesses. 

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