Key Votes and Positions on Amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act, H.R. 2500

On behalf of FreedomWorks activists, I urge you to contact your representative and ask him or her to support or oppose as prescribed each amendment below to the National Defense Authorization Act, H.R. 2500. Because some amendments are included in en bloc packages, those are separated out from the amendments which will receive individual floor consideration.

Although we reserve the right to do so, it is unlikely that FreedomWorks will include en bloc amendment votes on our scorecard due to the wide variety of amendments in each bloc, but we wanted to express our support for key amendments within certain blocs.

KEY VOTES

NO – Amendment 9 (#13): Sponsored by Reps. Anthony Brindisi (D-N.Y.) and David McKinley (R-W.Va.), this amendment would reinstate the protectionist Berry Amendment, which requires the Department of Defense to domestically source stainless steel flatware, and would also add a “dinner ware” domestic sourcing requirement.

YES – Amendment 24 (#419): Sponsored by Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) and Justin Amash (I-Mich.), this amendment would prohibit funds from being used to transfer any defense articles or services to Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates under the emergency authority of the Arms Export Control Act that circumvents congressional review.

YES – Amendment 423 (#270): Sponsored by Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), this amendment would prohibit unauthorized military force in or against Iran.

YES – Amendment 424 (#35): Sponsored by Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Justin Amash (I-Mich.), this amendment would repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002.

EN BLOC

SUPPORT – Amendment 71 (#5): Sponsored by Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) and Chip Roy (R-Texas), this amendment would require the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to Congress on annual defense spending by ally and partner countries.

SUPPORT – Amendment 120 (#69): Sponsored by Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and Doug Collins (R-Ga.), this amendment would prohibit federal employers and contractors from asking about the criminal history of job applicants until they receive conditional offers of employment. The amendment includes exceptions for positions related to law enforcement and national security, positions requiring access to classified information, and positions for which access to criminal history information is required by law.

FreedomWorks may count the votes on these amendments to H.R. 2500 on our 2019 Congressional Scorecard and reserves the right to score other amendments. Votes on some amendments may also be weighted. The scorecard is used to determine eligibility for the FreedomFighter Award, which recognizes Members of the House and Senate who consistently vote to support economic freedom and individual liberty.

Sincerely,

Adam Brandon, President, FreedomWorks