Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) released the following statement after President Trump vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act of 2021:
“At a time when our nation faces unprecedented challenges at home and abroad, President Trump’s reckless and irresponsible veto of the National Defense Authorization Act only serves to create more instability and hinder our ability to keep America safe,” said Congressman Chris Pappas. “The President’s veto hurts U.S. service members, puts our national security in jeopardy, and delays funding important initiatives, including cleaning up PFAS contamination at military sites like the former Pease Air Force Base.“
“This legislation passed with overwhelming, bipartisan support in both houses of Congress, and vetoing it serves only to delay these critical funds from being distributed – including pay raises for our military members serving in harm’s way. That is why when the vote is called, I will return to Washington to stand with our service members and vote to override President Trump’s veto. I urge my colleagues in both parties to do the same.”
This year’s NDAA includes several provisions Pappas fought for including:
- Help for military installations to clean up PFAS contamination and expand federal efforts to research the health implications of PFAS
- $160 million for projects at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard which will allow it to continue playing a critical role in our nation’s military readiness
- Stopping a DOD plan that would bar veterans and active duty family members from accessing military treatment facilities across the country, including in Portsmouth.
U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement after President Trump vetoed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year (FY) 2021. The annual legislation authorizes national defense objectives for the fiscal year and has historically been a successful bipartisan effort. The defense bill for FY2021 contained numerous priorities secured or supported by Shaheen that invest in New Hampshire’s role in support of our national defense and shore up the United States’ national security structures and programming.
“The President just denied our troops a well-deserved pay raise and deprived New England’s Portsmouth Naval Shipyard of significant federal investments. He also blocked important national security provisions to counter aggression from our adversaries like Russia and China and sabotaged other critical bipartisan measures that would safeguard our defense structures. All of this because he has a gripe with social media companies for holding him responsible for spreading disinformation on his social media platforms. This isn’t just shameful it is downright dangerous,” said Shaheen. “The Kremlin is actively attacking our cyber networks. Instead of standing up for our national security, the President is downplaying Russia’s involvement – which contradicts U.S. intelligence – and now he just vetoed legislation that contains actionable items that we can use to hold Putin accountable for this kind of belligerent behavior. The FY21 NDAA cleared Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support and a veto-proof majority in both chambers. I urge lawmakers in the House and Senate to stand firm in their decisions and override the President’s veto. This isn’t about politics, this is about the security of the United States and the safety of our men and women in uniform. We cannot allow that to be compromised by the President’s thin skin. Enough is enough.”