Washington, DC – On July 14, 2023, Congresswoman Kathy Manning (NC-06) Vice Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Policy Co-Chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, voted against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), due to the inclusion of extreme Republican-led amendments targeting abortion rights, and LGBTQ, people of color, and women in the military.
“Right-wing extremists in the Republican party hijacked the NDAA – a historically bipartisan bill – to force through their extreme political agenda, attacking LGBTQ, women, and servicemembers of color, stripping away critical reproductive health care and freedoms, and eliminating diversity efforts in the armed forces. I believe we should support all the members of the military and not allow extremists to use the NDAA to discriminate against servicemembers and deny them the health care they deserve. “I urge Senators on both sides of the aisle to reject this unserious, highly partisan package and send back a defense package that reflects the values of the United States’ national defense strategy: supporting servicemembers and their families, leading the way in innovative defense technologies, and protecting democracy,” said Congresswoman Kathy Manning (NC-06).
In June, Congresswoman Manning and fellow leaders of the Democratic Women’s Caucus wrote to the House Armed Service Committee (HASC) leadership opposing any efforts to attack reproductive health care in the NDAA and signifying that the inclusion of any such provision could jeopardize final passage of the bill.
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