WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (CT-05) issued the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 6395, the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021.
“This week I voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, as there were many must pass provisions in the bill,” said Rep. Hayes. “The bipartisan bill includes a 3% pay raise for our military, increased funding for PFAS cleanup, improvements to sexual assault prevention and response, and several key programs to promote and enhance diversity and inclusion in the military. Also included is my amendment to increase university research grants through the Department of Defense.”
“Unfortunately, the bill did not include other provisions that I advocated for, namely modest cuts in Pentagon spending. This reduction would have allowed us to reinvest money into schools, our healthcare system, or child care programs. The cuts would have excluded military personnel, DOD federal civilian workforce, and defense health program accounts. At a time when our nation is facing unprecedented hardship, these changes would have been key. I will continue to fight to ensure that our budget reflects our values.”
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Rep. Jahana Hayes has been a public-school teacher in Connecticut for more than 15 years and was recognized in 2016 as the National Teacher of the Year.
Currently serving her first term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Hayes sits on the Committees on Education & Labor and Agriculture and proudly represents Connecticut’s 5th District.