Representative Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ11) today released the following statement after President Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2021:
“The NDAA is the product of months of work, collaboration with experts, and input from the administration, the Pentagon, and our constituents. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, each year I attend hearings concerning a wide range of issues including our military’s modernization, efforts to end the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and problems with military sexual assault and harassment. I meet with Pentagon officials and receive briefs on numerous projects at Picatinny Arsenal. I work hard with members of the committee to pass a strong National Defense Authorization Act.
“This year, the NDAA passed unanimously through the House Armed Services Committee and with wide, bipartisan majorities in both chambers. It provides pay raises for troops, improves health care for women service members and military families, removes Confederate base names, and strengthens the Defense Department’s ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. It supports our military’s innovation and modernization, makes our fighting force more effective, and provides crucial reassurances to our allies. I am proud of the hard work I and all the members of HASC have done to support our troops.
“The president’s eleventh hour veto of one of the most widely supported bills in Congress shows how little regard he has for our troops, for Congress, and for the work it takes to govern our great nation. I look forward to voting to override this veto. I urge my colleagues in the Senate, who have already given the NDAA their support twice, to do the same.”
The House of Representatives secured final passage of the NDAA on December 8. Rep. Sherrill fought to include key provisions that strengthen Picatinny Arsenal, advance innovation at the Department of Defense, and bolster the Department’s efforts to fight COVID-19. Rep. Sherrill is a former Navy helicopter pilot and a member of the House Armed Services Committee.
