{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://palazzo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=344381", "Palazzo Supports Defense Bill with Funds for Troops and Protection for Military Technicians", "2013-07-24", "2013", "2013-07", "Republican", "House", "MS", "Steven Palazzo", "P000601", "palazzo.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC \u2013 Congressman Steven Palazzo (R-MS) released the following statement after voting in favor of the House FY14 Defense Appropriations bill with responsible reductions in defense spending, military pay raises above the president\u2019s request, and furlough exemptions for deployable, uniformed military personnel. \u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u201cThe world is not becoming safer, and the sacrifices our men and women in uniform make are not getting smaller,\u201d Palazzo stated. \u201cWith passage of each year\u2019s defense bills, we must ensure we are giving our warfighters all of the tools, training and support that they need to fight and win and return home safely. This bill does that, while providing a military pay raise, responsibly reducing spending, and ensuring all deployable, uniformed military personnel are equally protected from furloughs until Congress enacts a budget deal to end sequestration cuts.\u201d \u00a0\n\u00a0\nThe bill included more than $5 billion in strategic and prioritized reductions from the previous year\u2019s budget. It also included a 1.8 percent military pay raise, an increase over the president\u2019s 1 percent request. Palazzo successfully added an amendment to the bill which would include military technicians in a furlough exemption granted to military personnel in July 2012. Palazzo cited the technicians\u2019 omission in the original exemption as a \u201ctechnicality,\u201d explaining: \u201cMy amendment simply ensures we include all of our deployable men and women in uniform in that exemption.\u201d \n\u00a0\nIf passed by the Senate and signed into law, Palazzo\u2019s amendment would go into effect in fiscal year 2014 and would impact the more than 1,400 Mississippi military technicians that received furlough notices earlier this month. It was supported by the National Guard Association of the United States and the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States. \n\u00a0\n\"This amendment is a big first step to correcting an oversight that hurts nearly 50,000 dedicated uniformed soldiers and airmen and erodes the National Guard's ability to respond both at\u00a0home and abroad,\" said retired Maj. Gen. Gus L. Hargett Jr, president of the National Guard Association of the United States. \"Rep. Steven Palazzo recognized this situation early. His efforts led to yesterday's action. National Guardsmen and those they serve across the country are in his debt.\" \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\n\u201cThe President, Congress, and DoD all agreed to exempt uniformed personnel from being furloughed in order to limit the impact on military readiness,\u201d stated Seth Waugh, Director of Government Affairs for the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States. \u201cWe believe the furlough of National Guard military technicians violates that intent and are pleased that Congressman Palazzo has stood up, once again, for the National Guard. \u00a0By allowing these uniformed members of our Armed Forces to be protected in the same way as their active duty counterparts, Congress is honoring their commitment to our military.\u00a0 Without Congressman Palazzo\u2019s amendment, the readiness of our National Guard will continue to be in jeopardy, not only for state emergencies, but for federal missions as well.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0\n**Click here or on the image below for video from Congressman Palazzo\u2019s remarks.**", 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://palazzo.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=344381"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4881598763167858, "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"}