Senator Ron Wyden from Oregon made a statement on Wednesday after voting against the National Defense Authorization Act NDAA.
He explained that while the bill gives a pay raise to military servicemembers and supports efforts to help democratic allies like Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine, he could not support it due to wasteful defense spending.
Wyden criticized the Pentagon for failing audits and said the bill doesn’t hold the Department of Defense accountable for managing taxpayer money responsibly. He also pointed out that the bill stops important actions to protect servicemembers from violent extremism.
Additionally, Wyden noted that while the bill includes the Intelligence Authorization Act, it lacks important reforms, such as protections against political interference in intelligence agencies, safeguards for whistleblowers, and limits on excessive surveillance.
He concluded by saying he voted no on the bill due to these issues, but he was pleased to see a provision he worked on with Senator Schmitt included, which will study cybersecurity risks to the air traffic control system.