{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://garamendi.house.gov/press-release/armed-services-committee-member-garamendi-votes-national-defense-authorization-act", "Armed Services Committee Member Garamendi Votes for National Defense Authorization Act", "2013-12-13", "2013", "2013-12", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "John Garamendi", "G000559", "garamendi.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 After months of debate, committee hearings, and bipartisan negotiations, the final FY 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed the House of Representatives today by a 350-69 vote. The bill authorizes $625.1 billion for defense programs and incorporates ideas from Democrats and Republicans in both chambers of Congress.\n\u201cThis legislation isn\u2019t perfect, but I want to commend the people who helped put it together. This bill represents a good faith effort, bipartisan and bicameral, to put the security of America first. It has earned my support,\u201d said Congressman Garamendi, who represents Travis and Air Force bases in Congress. \u201cThe brave men and women of our military need to know that our government takes its responsibility to support their missions seriously, and I think that\u2019s accomplished with this Defense bill.\u201d\nDefending Vital Third District Missions and Needs\nEarlier this year, the Air Force mistakenly issued plans to deactivate the 13th Reconnaissance Squadron, a Reserve Wing responsible for the operation of the Global Hawk unmanned aircraft. During questioning by Congressman Garamendi during a March 2013 hearing, the Air Force admitted that this was an oversight and that the Department of Defense is prohibited from deactivated the Reserve Wing without explicit Congressional authorization. The NDAA passed today continues to prohibit the early retirement of the Global Hawk Block 30 unmanned systems through 2014.\nThe Global Hawk mission, located at Beale Air Force Base near Marysville, California, is a critical component of Beale\u2019s Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) responsibilities. The Global Hawk is an unarmed, unmanned surveillance aircraft capable of staying aloft for 30 hours and is used in North Africa, Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf, and Somalia, as well as for humanitarian purposes and emergencies, such as the Fukushima nuclear accident.\n\u201cThe Global Hawk remains one of our most powerful assets, keeping America informed about activities in remote troubled hotspots without jeopardizing U.S. personnel,\u201d Garamendi said. \u201cIt also has a humanitarian function that has saved lives and enabled emergency personnel to respond to crises with accurate science and observational data. I\u2019m glad the NDAA preserves the Global Hawk, and I will continue to be an advocate for its use for as long as it remains the best technology available for its mission.\u201d\nThe legislation also contains language \u2013 that Congressman Garamendi, Ranking Member of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, fought for \u2013 that authorizes the Coast Guard to exchange 5 C-130H long-range surveillance aircraft with the Air Force and receive 14 surplus C-27J aircraft which will enhance the Coast Guard\u2019s capabilities for long-range surveillance, drug, and migrant interdiction, and search and rescue mission activities. This transfer saves about $600 million.\n\u201cSome of these C-27Js will be based at the Coast Guard Air Station in Sacramento,\u201d Congressman Garamendi said. \u201cWe\u2019re the second most flood prone region in the nation and we have a dangerous ocean to the west, so having the best possible search and rescue capabilities is welcomed news.\u201d\nCombating Sexual Assaults in the Military\nThe legislation enhances the right of victims of sexual assault to present their case before a lawyer, removes opportunities for perpetrators to escape justice, more clearly articulates appropriate punishments for sex offenders, requires better reporting when superior officers learn about a potential sex crime, cracks down on sexual harassment, and strengthens penalties against retribution for reporting a sexual assault, in addition to dozens of other related reforms.\n\u201cAmerican military personnel face enough enemies in the course of their duty; no servicemember should be fearful of a sexual assault from one of their own,\u201d Congressman Garamendi said. \u201cThe sexual assault language in the NDAA is a good step forward. More will need to be done, but there is no doubt that servicemembers will be safer once these reforms are implemented. Believe me, there are many Members of this Congress who will be carefully watching to make sure these new guidelines are fully enforced.\u201d\nIran\nCongressman Garamendi expressed satisfaction that the NDAA does not include new sanctions on Iran, given the diplomatic progress on the nuclear weapons issue in recent months.\n\u201cI\u2019ve voted for Iranian sanctions before, and I\u2019ve considered them appropriate before, but we must adapt to changing circumstances. Let\u2019s give diplomacy a chance, and let\u2019s give the President and his team a chance to hold the Iranian government to their word,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s no reason to throw a monkey wrench into this process, which holds the real opportunity to peacefully prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. If the Iranian government reneges on its promises, there\u2019s always time to return with additional sanctions. The NDAA pursues a temperate path on this sensitive issue.\u201d\nSyria\nDuring the build up to potential U.S. military intervention in Syria, Congressman Garamendi was one of the leading voices in Congress urging restraint before rushing to war and demanding Congressional authorization before an assault. He authored language in the House version of the NDAA that made clear that nothing in the legislation provided the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (an AUMF) in Syria. The resulting delay helped make a diplomatic internationally-backed solution possible.\nThe NDAA provides authority for the U.S. to assist in destroying Syria\u2019s chemical weapons and requires the Department to develop a cooperative threat reduction strategy to combat weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East and North Africa. It also provides $150 million to help our ally Jordan secure their border with Syria. The Jordanian government has been one of our most helpful international partners during the Syrian conflict, as they\u2019ve taken in hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, largely at their own expense.\n\u201cWe learned in Iraq that rushing into war puts brave servicemembers needlessly in harm\u2019s way. I\u2019m pleased that this didn\u2019t happen in Syria. Our actions showed that diplomacy can be effective and that international norms are strongest when backed by an international coalition,\u201d Garamendi said. \u201cLet\u2019s work together as a world community to make sure that chemical weapons are never again used in Syria or anywhere else. Let\u2019s also make sure that our allies know that when they step up to the plate to provide humanitarian relief, America has their back.\u201d \u00a0\nAfghanistan\nThe NDAA provides $80 billion for operations in Afghanistan, including $6.2 billion in funding for the Afghan National Security Forces and $250 million for the Afghan Infrastructure Fund. Congressman Garamendi has long been a critic of the war in Afghanistan and this week on C-SPAN\u2019s Washington Journal argued again for an expedited end to America\u2019s involvement in the Afghanistan War (click here for video).\n\u201cI still consider military support in Afghanistan to be largely wasteful. Fraud and theft are rampant in that country, and the government we are backing is one of the most corrupt governments on the planet. I also fear some of these resources are being siphoned off to our enemies in that country,\u201d said Congressman Garamendi. \u201cThe day the last American servicemember returns from Afghanistan will be a day well worth celebrating. For now, I have a lot of questions and will closely monitor U.S. troop commitments as we wind down our presence in Afghanistan.\u201d\nPrivacy Rights\nCongressman Garamendi is disappointed that the NDAA doesn\u2019t include any new language to strengthen the privacy rights of people living in the United States. Congressman Garamendi has been concerned that the National Security Agency\u2019s bulk data collections of U.S. residents are overbroad and running afoul of Fourth and Fifth American privacy protections.\n\u201cThere\u2019s been a steady drumbeat of news revealing that the NSA has been snooping in even more parts of the lives of average Americans \u2013 online video games being the latest. For this reason, there\u2019s strong bipartisan momentum in Congress to fully investigate and rein in the NSA\u2019s overreach during bulk data collections,\u201d said Congressman Garamendi. \u201cI\u2019m disappointed that language isn\u2019t found in the NDAA, but this is an issue I expect to return in 2014. Those of us who take the Constitution seriously aren\u2019t going away.\u201d\nOther Issues\nThe NDAA:\n Authorizes the President\u2019s end strength request for the active forces: 520,000 Army, 323,600 Navy, 190,200 Marine Corps, and 327,600 Air Force;\n\tProvides $176.5 billion in operation and maintenance funding to help mend some of the damage that has been done to overused equipment and neglected facilities. At a time when military readiness continues to be hurt by mindless cuts through sequestration, this funding is vitally important;\n\tEstablishes a pilot program on investigational treatment of members of the Armed Forces for traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder;\n\tAllows the Services to award constructive service credit for special experience, training or advanced education in certain cyberspace fields;\n\tRequires that the Department of Defense no later than January 1, 2016 complete all assessments regarding the expansion of positions open to women;\n\tRequires the Secretary of Defense to review the backlog of cases within the Integrated Disability Evaluation System;\n\tEstablishes a pilot program for family support programs for immediate family members of special operations forces;\n\tEstablishes the requirements for the electronic health records of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs;\n\tEnhances executive branch authorities to transfer and release GTMO detainees to foreign countries;\n\tCaps the total amount the Department of Defense can spend on contracted services in fiscal year 2014 at the amount requested by the Department in 2010, approximately $150 billion; and\n\tRequires the Secretary of Defense to submit a report containing an explanation of the legal and policy considerations and approval processes used in determining whether an individual or group of individuals could be the target of a lethal operation or capture operation conducted by the Armed Forces of the United States outside the United States.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://garamendi.house.gov/press-release/armed-services-committee-member-garamendi-votes-national-defense-authorization-act"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.2821149323135614, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}