Deluzio Votes Against $1.15 Trillion Defense Bill with Weak Oversight of the Defense Department and Iran War

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In the early morning, House Armed Services Committee member Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) voted no on the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in the House Armed Services Committee. Congressman Deluzio voted no, citing fundamental opposition to a massive increase to Department of Defense (DoD) funding amidst the unauthorized, reckless, and unpopular Iran War, and rising concerns about corruption and price gouging in the DoD's defense contracting.

"The American military needs to be ready to defend our country and win any fight that comes our way, but corruption, price gouging, and corporate capture within the Defense Department are eroding that critical readiness," said Congressman Deluzio. "This Defense Bill was a chance for the Congress to rein in corruption, to protect public money, and to gain real oversight amidst the deadly and costly Iran War-but this bill missed the mark."

The House Armed Services Committee refused to include Congressman Deluzio's amendments, which included:

• An amendment preventing defense contractors from issuing stock buybacks when they fail to invest properly in research and development and their own infrastructure;
• An amendment to prevent Senior DoD and Trump Administration officials from enriching themselves through DoD contracts; and
• An amendment creating ethics standards for DoD employees and contracted advisors.

Some of Congressman Deluzio's bills and amendments were included in the NDAA. These are:

• The text of Deluzio's bill, the Defense Industrial Base Advance Manufacturing Enhancement Act, which requires the Department of Defense to proactively identify and use these manufacturing methods to solve critical military readiness issues;
• The inclusion of a provision codifying the "Right to Repair" for our troops, which allows them to fix their own equipment instead of being forced to rely on defense contractors for repairs;
• The inclusion of several amendments that require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to provide recommendations to the Navy on how to improve its shipbuilding processes;
• The inclusion of a provision that requires the Secretary of the Air Force to provide a report on how synthetic aviation fuel, like the fuel made at the Pittsburgh International Airport, can support the DoD's operational readiness; and
• The inclusion of a provision that requires the GAO to provide recommendations to DoD on how to get the best deal with public money, ensuring the DoD has a good understanding of mergers and acquisitions in the defense industry and whether the DoD can adequately assess defense contractor performance.

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