WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), an Air Force veteran and member of the House Armed Services Committee, voted against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the first time after dozens of extreme, partisan amendments were added.

“I am enormously disappointed and honestly horrified to see the bipartisan annual defense bill hijacked by extreme policies, including restricting access to abortion care for women in uniform and military families,” said Houlahan. “I was left with no choice but to vote no on its final passage.”

Houlahan added: “I want to be clear that I stand in strong support of our service members. In both my subcommittees and the full House Armed Services Committee, I have voted multiple times over multiple years to do right by our men and women in uniform. I voted to give them a pay raise, improve their housing, expand childcare, modernize their training and weapon systems, and more.”

Houlahan led the effort to return this bill to its original, bipartisan form that she voted out of committee. Watch her floor remarks here.

“The amendments that were added after the Committee vote not only degrade this piece of legislation but also threaten to degrade our national security. The attacks against women, the LGBTQ+ community, libraries, and more will have a chilling effect on military recruitment and retention at a time when we are facing historic challenges to fill our all-volunteer ranks. I proudly served in uniform, as did generations of my family before me, and I will do everything in my power to send a truly bipartisan bill to the President’s desk for signature so our next generation can proudly serve, too,” concluded Houlahan.

For more information on the recently added provisions, click here.

Houlahan is an Air Force veteran, an engineer, a serial entrepreneur, an educator, and a nonprofit leader. She represents Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses Chester County and southern Berks County. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. She is the recipient of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Abraham Lincoln Leadership for America Award which “recognizes members who demonstrate the bipartisan leadership and constructive governing necessary to move our country forward” and the Congressional Management Foundation’s 2022 Democracy Award for best Constituent Services in Congress.