WASHINGTON, D.C. — Demand Progress just sent recommendations to the House of Representatives providing guidance on National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) amendments that have been submitted for consideration. The recommendations are below, and are available online.
Alongside the recommendations, Demand Progress Policy Advisor Hajar Hammado issued the following statement:
“We support amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act that advocate for military restraint, elevate Congress’s power to act as a check on warmaking, and strengthen Congress’s ability to legislate and conduct oversight. We urge members of Congress to prioritize responsible and accountable defense spending that upholds human rights, safeguards civil liberties, and ensures transparent governance.”
Our Recommendations
These amendments represent a priority subset of our comprehensive list of recommendations; we will share additional recommendations in the coming days. In the meantime, please let us know if you would like to receive a copy of our complete list of recommendations for your review and consideration.
H.Amdt. 161 to H.R. 2670, Prohibits U.S. military presence in Syria without Congressional approval within one year of enactment.
H.Amdt. 1375 to H.R. 2670, Establishes warrant requirements for web browsing history, Internet search history, and Fourth Amendment-protected information of United States persons or persons inside the United States.
H.Amdt. 1293 to H.R. 2670, Provides the Secretary of Defense with the authority to transfer funds in excess of the amount requested for weapons purchases in the President’s budget to DoD child care programs.
H.Amdt. 1171 to H.R. 2670, Prohibits U.S. funding from being used for unauthorized U.S. military involvement in the war in Yemen if the Saudi-led coalition resumes aerial hostilities against the Houthis in Yemen. This includes prohibiting funds from being used for military logistical support or intelligence sharing that enables offensive strikes.
H.Amdt. 1241 to H.R. 2670, Expands transparency and congressional oversight of arms exports by eliminating the thresholds for congressional reporting requirements in the Arms Export Control Act.
H.Amdt. 487 to H.R. 2670, Requires Secretary of State concurrence for Section 127e and Section 1202 programs and requires programs to be restricted to operations authorized by Congress.
H.Amdt. 1309 to H.R. 2670, Before enforcing sectoral or broad-based sanctions, requires the Secretaries of Treasury and State to certify that such sanctions will not result in civilian death.
H.Amdt. 478 to H.R. 2670, Requires recipients of Section 127e and Section 1202 programs to undergo vetting for gross human rights violations.
H.Amdt. 319 to H.R. 2670, Repeals the 127e program.
H.Amdt. 1409 to H.R. 2670, Places 2-year sunsets on all future military authorizations and reauthorizations. Moreover, the Departments of Defense and State are required to report on existing military operations and brief Members of Congress on how these operations meet military objectives.
H.Amdt. 958 to H.R. 2670, Seeks to disrupt firearm trafficking from the United States to Latin America and the Caribbean by implementing stronger transparency, accountability, and oversight mechanisms for U.S. small arms exports.
H.Amdt. 1050 to H.R. 2670, Requires the Secretary of Defense to review all execute orders permitting the U.S. Armed Forces to engage, or direct partner forces to engage, in the use of lethal or potentially lethal force to ensure all orders specify the location, the country or organization against which force may be used, and the law under which the use of force is authorized. It also requires the Department to report on the results of this review.
H.Amdt. 516 to H.R. 2670, Requires the Department of Defense to provide public and congressional notice when certain reports are withheld from public notice, and requires a report on the Department’s implementation of this requirement.
H.Amdt. 162 to H.R. 2670, Requires public disclosure about the cost of the United States overseas military footprint.
H.Amdt. 1014 to H.R. 2670, This amendment would revive an expired annual reporting requirement on the number of strikes undertaken by the US against terrorist targets outside areas of active hostilities, and resulting civilian casualties. The reporting requirement sunset in 2022; this amendment re-sets the sunset to 2027. This report would not impact the ability of the US Government to conduct strikes in any way.
H.Amdt. 49 to H.R. 2670, Requires the Secretary of State to develop guidance for investigating indications that U.S.-origin defense articles have been used in Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition in substantial violation of relevant agreements with countries participating in the coalition and to report to Congress, consistent with GAO recommendations.
H.Amdt. 50 to H.R. 2670, Extends an existing prohibition on mid-air refueling of non-U.S. aircraft participating in hostilities in the civil war in Yemen for two years.
H.Amdt. 706 to H.R. 2670, Prohibits the use of unauthorized military force against Mexico.
H.Amdt. 472 to H.R. 2670, Requires the President to develop and submit a report to Congress that contains a strategy for U.S. involvement in Ukraine.
H.Amdt. 20 to H.R. 2670, Expresses a sense of Congress that Article 5 of North Atlantic Treaty does not supersede the constitutional requirement that Congress declare war or authorize the use of military force prior to United States engaging in hostilities.