Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Includes Hawaiʻi Priorities in Final House Defense Funding Bill

Statement

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) today voted in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2016 (NDAA). The bipartisan bill passed by a measure of 269-151.

"My priority as a member of the House Armed Services Committee is to make sure our troops have the resources they need to keep the American people safe, and this funding measure provides critical resources to do that," said Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. "In addition to almost $500 million in investment for Hawai"i military priorities, I passed amendments to the bill that will help increase Hawaii's protection against missile threats from North Korea. The bill also includes my amendment to finally reverse the Department of Defense policy decision that negatively impacted more than 1,000 veterans in Hawai"i, especially those on our neighbor islands, who were no longer able to access the TRICARE Prime health benefits that they had earned. My amendment allows them to re-enroll and finally receive the care they deserve.

"Additionally, as we continue to fight against the terror of Islamic extremist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda, I co-sponsored a provision that would authorize direct assistance to the Kurdish and Sunni fighters who are courageously battling against ISIS in Iraq. This will arm them with the weapons and equipment they need and bypass the Shiite-led, Iranian influenced, central government in Baghdad. I also supported a provision in the bill that requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a comprehensive strategy to Congress on how the U.S. is taking action to counter Islamic extremism worldwide."

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