North Austin News

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After voting against H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Representative John Carter (R-TX-31) expressed his concerns about the bill. Carter highlighted that the current version of the NDAA did not align with his priorities on military readiness and deterrence, stating, "Earlier this year, the House passed a strong, responsible NDAA that focused on military readiness and deterrence. Unfortunately, today's NDAA was not that bill, and while it had some strengths to it, it ultimately included several poison pills that I could not support."

Carter raised specific objections within the NDAA, citing issues related to the allocation of taxpayers' funds for certain purposes. He emphasized, "The first is that there is absolutely no rhyme or reason why taxpayers' hard-earned dollars should subsidize drag shows and gender reassignment surgeries in our military." Carter argued that such expenditures not only breached constituents' trust but also negatively impacted military recruitment and readiness.

Furthermore, the coupling of a clean FISA reauthorization with the NDAA was another point of contention for Carter. He asserted, "Secondly, a clean FISA reauthorization should not have been coupled with the NDAA." Carter stressed the importance of upholding constitutional privacy protections in any reauthorization of FISA to safeguard Americans' rights.

In conclusion, Carter reaffirmed his commitment to representing the interests of his constituents in Washington. He stated, "My constituents sent me to Washington to stand up for Texas-style common sense, follow the Constitution, and protect their tax dollars. For that reason, I voted against today's negotiated NDAA."