WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) released the following statement after voting against the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):

“I voted against this massively wasteful budget for war and destruction—the largest military budget in the history of our country—while the needs of working families in our district are neglected here at home. We must divest from endless war and death. My residents sent me to Congress to invest in life.

“Ending utility and water shutoffs. Fixing our underfunded schools. Boldly tackling the climate crisis. Cancelling student debt. Fully funding social security. Guaranteeing universal school meals. Enacting Medicare for all. Year after year my colleagues in Congress and powerful people in Washington tell us that there’s no money for these lifesaving programs, that our deficit is simply too high. Only to turn around and pass yet another record-breaking Pentagon budget, giving $886.3 billion of our tax dollars to fund bombs, weapons, and war crimes—no questions asked. Filling the pockets of the very same defense contractors that many of my colleagues are taking massive campaign donations from. Meanwhile, the Pentagon continues to fail its sixth audit in a row.

“This budget is impossible to justify when our neighbors are struggling to put food on the table, fighting to keep a roof over their heads, and rationing their medication. While Americans struggle to access clean water, basic health care, and enough food for their kids, Republicans and corporate Democrats continue to waste our tax dollars on endless war. It’s outrageous that every year, we spend more on weapons and war than the next nine countries combined.

“I will continue to fight like hell to rein in military spending, invest in working families, and work towards a future that values diplomacy and peace over the military industrial complex. Our residents deserve nothing less.”

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