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U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) vote against the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act.

“For the past 62 years, Republicans and Democrats have come together to craft bipartisan defense authorization bills that would support our troops and strengthen our national security,” Sewell said. “But this year, rather than continuing that essential tradition, Speaker McCarthy has caved to the most extreme members of his party and allowed the radical right-wing to poison the defense bill with culture war provisions that would undermine our military readiness and harm our service members.”

Sewell, a member of the House Armed Services Committee said  the vote did not come easy for her.

“I did not take this vote lightly,” Sewell said. “I have proudly voted in favor of the annual defense bill every year since coming to Congress. But I cannot and will not support a bill that would rip basic health care away from our service members and make bigotry and discrimination a centerpiece of our defense policy. Republicans need to stop playing politics with our national security.”

Passed annually by Congress since 1961, the NDAA authorizes funding levels for the Department of Defense (DoD) and allows the Armed Forces to pay, train, and equip U.S. service members, support America’s allies around the world, and carry out essential national security operations.