Amid Trump’s Illegal Iran War and Continued Misuse of Our Military, Duckworth Votes Against Committee Passage of Defense Authorization Bill

Amid Trump's Illegal Iran War and Continued Misuse of Our Military, Duckworth Votes Against Committee Passage of Defense Authorization Bill

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - After Republicans on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) blocked her amendments to hold President Donald Trump accountable for his illegal war of choice against Iran and dangerous domestic deployments to American cities, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) voted against committee passage of the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The defense bill will soon be considered by the full Senate.

"Time after time, Trump has been repeating the lie that this illegal war is over. But just as recently as this week, two of our combat pilots were shot down and the President authorized more strikes against Iran. Meanwhile, Trump's failure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz has emboldened Iran to abuse this vital shipping lane for years to come and sent costs skyrocketing for middle-class families here at home. Not only is this war far from over, but it's painfully obvious this President has no idea how to end this conflict and get our troops home safely.

"This Administration continues to conduct this illegal military operation and deploy troops to American cities without oversight or transparency-offering little to no details behind closed doors away from the scrutiny of the American people. That cannot continue. That is why I put forth multiple amendments that would bar Secretary Hegseth from using any funding from this bill on this illegal war or domestic deployments until they report the costs that this misuse of our military has had on readiness and our troops. My Republican colleagues on the committee once again chose to abdicate their Constitutional responsibility and voted this simple oversight down.

"Enough, Donald Trump is not a king. And this is not the time to look the other way and hand a wanna-be dictator a blank check to continue abusing our military however he wants. I worked hard to secure several provisions that support our servicemembers, strengthen our national security and invest in Illinois, but I cannot rubberstamp $1.5 trillion-the largest defense budget ever proposed in our nation's history-with zero checks. As this bill is considered by the full Senate, I will continue to push my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to improve this legislation and deliver the accountability our brave servicemembers deserve."

-30-