U.S. House of Representatives Congressmen Jared Golden, D-Maine, and Don Bacon, R-Neb., said the Senate should complete its duties and be serious in ensuring national security by considering and passing its version of the National Defense Authorization Act.
Although the fiscal year 2023 NDAA was signed into law in December, the upper chamber did not advance a “fair and transparent process with the House” by failing to pass its version of the defense policy bill for the second consecutive year, Golden and Bacon wrote in an opinion piece published Monday on The Hill.
“Without a Senate-passed bill, members of the Senate and House are not appointed as conferees, leaving the bill to be negotiated exclusively by leadership and select staff behind closed doors,” they wrote.
“This procedure also manufactures an 11th-hour authorization for all funding and programs for our entire national security apparatus. It is irresponsible for Congress to wait until the last possible moment to provide for the common defense,” the lawmakers added.
Bacon and Golden, who serve as co-chairs of the For Country Caucus, said the Senate should pass the defense authorization measure on time and ensure regular order to enable the Department of Defense to better counter the threats posed by China and Russia and offer certainty to military personnel and their families.