Representative Pete Olson (TX-22) issued the following statement after voting to override President Donald Trump’s veto of H.R. 6395, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021:
“While I share concerns with Section 230, this was a carefully negotiated bill that authorizes vital funding for the Department of Defense to provide our military with the resources they need to successfully defend America. This bill provides vital tools to keep our country safe and deter threats from adversaries like Russia and China. It also contains a needed pay raise for our troops, as well as critical resources to help first responders perform high water rescues during high flood events in the Texas Gulf Coast and other flood-ravaged areas. The provision I worked to include allows surplus military vehicles to be sent to local communities for high water rescues that will save lives. As a former Navy pilot, I strongly oppose allowing issues unrelated to national defense to hold our military needs hostage. That’s why I voted to override the veto of this critical, bipartisan bill.”
Background: The Lifting Up Our First Responders Act (H.R. 5407) allows the military to prioritize distribution of surplus high-water rescue vehicles to communities that face a higher threat of flooding to help emergency responders rescue individuals trapped by floods.
FY 2021 NDAA-Highlights:
- Provides our troops a 3% pay raise, authorizes extra pay for troops in combat zones, and supports their families with the care and benefits they deserve.
- Authorizes $635.5 billion in appropriations to fund the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
- Adopts 17 Cyber Solarium Commission recommendations that strengthen the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and empowers the government to better protect against cyber-attack
- Creates a new director of cybersecurity position to fortify the U.S.’s cyber capabilities
- Ensures DOD maintains a 30-day supply of PPE, our troops have the diagnostic equipment and testing they need, and provides health benefits to Guardsmen supporting the COVID-19 response.
- Creates a program to bolster the U.S.’s Indo-Pacific positioning and alliances
- Funds additional attack submarines to counter China’s growing naval forces
To overturn the veto, both the House and Senate must each have a two-thirds vote overriding the veto. Once the veto is overridden, the bill in question becomes law.