As the House considers H.R. 5515, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019, NTU urges all Representatives to vote “YES” on the following amendments that would reduce wasteful spending, increase accountability, and protect taxpayers:
Amd. 4 (300) Aguilar (D-CA): This amendment would require the Department of Defense (DOD) to include a 20-year estimate of the projected life cycle costs of each type of nuclear weapon and delivery platforms in an already required report. This would better capture the oftentimes more significant out-year costs associated with with these systems, improving financial and strategic planning across the DOD and Department of Energy budgets.
Amd. 36 (281) Graves (R-LA): This amendment would require a report on the the management of military commissaries and exchanges. Privatizing or reducing subsidies, particularly for stateside commissaries, could generate essential cost-savings. This has been recommended by the Congressional Budget Office and in the most recent “Toward Common Ground” joint report between National Taxpayers Union Foundation and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.
Amd. 66 (560) Yoder (R-KS): This amendment, the Email Privacy Act, would require regulatory agencies, such as the Internal Revenue Service or Environmental Protection Agency, to obtain a warrant before compelling the release of private, personal data such as emails or customer records. This is a long overdue reform to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 and passed the House unanimously in 2016.
Roll call votes on the above amendments to H.R. 5515 will be included in our annual Rating of Congress and a “YES” vote will be considered the pro-taxpayer position.
This is the first of several anticipated vote alerts on H.R. 5515 that will be issued as amendments are made in order.