Staff report

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, H.R. 7900. After voting no, Representative Davidson (R-OH) made the following statement:

“This bill is full of agenda items that are not only a distraction but a danger to our national security,” said Rep. Davidson.

It is the federal government’s responsibility to fund a well-prepared military ready to defend our nation at any given moment. Prioritizing a politicized alternative agenda over combat readiness weakens our stance on the world stage.

Weakness invites aggression, as this administration has proven time and again by continuing to undermine our military’s core mission of fighting and winning wars. Our military is falling short of recruiting goals but continues to fire thousands of troops over a politicized vaccine mandate. As passed, this NDAA prioritizes radical climate change initiatives over combat readiness. Furthermore, this bill not only fails to secure America’s borders but also fails to provide adequate oversight of the vast amounts of taxpayer dollars spent protecting the borders of other nations (notably Ukraine and NATO).

Unfortunately, Democrats blocked our attempt to strengthen this bill. For the sake of our nation—and our military—I opposed this bill. The Senate’s version will be substantially different. To earn my support (and hopefully pass), the Senate’s version must address the many factors hurting recruitment and readiness.”