Skip to main content

STATEMENT: REPRESENTATIVES KHANNA, MALINOWSKI, AND CONNOLLY ISSUE STATEMENT FOLLOWING FY2022 NDAA VOTE

December 7, 2021

Washington, DC – December 7, 2021 – Representatives Ro Khanna (CA-17), Tom Malinowski (NJ-07), and Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11) issued the below statement this evening after voting against the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act.

"While we back many critical measures in the National Defense Authorization Act that support our troops and military readiness, we could not vote for the final bill today. The House-passed National Defense Authorization Act, which garnered strong bipartisan support, included numerous provisions to advance the fight against autocracy and corruption around the world, including provisions to rebalance our relationship with Saudi Arabia in the face of the Kingdom's disastrous war in Yemen and its campaign of reaching into other countries to threaten and kill its critics. But a small group of senators—for reasons that are not publicly explained or challenged—exercised a veto over these measures, even though most have repeatedly gone through regular order, have been passed by the House with overwhelming bipartisan support, and enjoy bipartisan backing in the Senate. Passage of the Saudi Arabia-related measures would have sent a message to the Saudi leadership that U.S. support is not a blank check. Our relationship with Saudi Arabia will not be improved if every time its rulers defy U.S. concerns, we take it upon ourselves to sweep those concerns under the rug; the burden of maintaining this relationship must be more equally shared. We will push for these bipartisan measures to be urgently given floor time for bicameral passage."

# # #

About the Office

Congressman Khanna represents the 17th District of California, which covers communities in Silicon Valley. Visit his website at khanna.house.gov. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @RepRoKhanna.