For Immediate Release: July 11, 2022
Rep. Schweikert Contact: Preston Mizell

WASHINGTON D.C. – Congressman David Schweikert released the following statement after introducing an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to strike over $6 billion in additional inflation-adjustment spending.

“There is no question that reckless spending by Democrats and the Biden Administration have contributed greatly to inflation that is burdening families in every corner of our country,” said Rep. Schweikert. “The last thing we should do is use taxpayer dollars to subsidize increased federal spending to cover rising inflation costs in our annual defense bill. I hope that Democrats accept my amendment and strike this wasteful and unnecessary spending.”

“We thank Congressman Schweikert for introducing his amendment to kill the multi-billion inflation-adjusted spending for the military industrial complex and DoD bureaucrats,” said Adam Brandon, President, FreedomWorks. “To give these people a raise to address inflation is a slap in the face to every American taxpayer. We hope this amendment gets the vote it deserves.”

“At a time when too few lawmakers are willing to thoughtfully consider where America might be spending too much at the Pentagon, Congressman Schweikert has offered a prudent as well as necessary reduction to the national defense topline — around $6 billion, when the House-proposed budget is already $37 billion higher than it was just a short month ago,” said Andrew Lautz, Director of Federal Policy, National Taxpayers Union. “Lawmakers who proposed an inflation adjustment to the Pentagon’s adjustment should have offset those increases with cuts elsewhere, and they did not. NTU is proud to support this amendment from Representative Schweikert.”

“Taxpayers for Common Sense supports the Schweikert amendment to strike $6 billion of the inflation adjustment added to the Pentagon’s topline in the NDAA for accounts that do not affect quality of life,” said Steve Ellis, President, Taxpayers for Common Sense. “With more than $839 billion in authorized spending – including the $36.9 billion already added by the Committee – they can get by without the extra cash.”

Background:

Rep. Schweikert’s amendment strikes all additional inflation-adjustment spending for fuel inflation, civilian personnel inflation pay, and mil-con cost to complete-inflation adjustment spending that was included in a separate amendment offered by House Democrats.

The full text of Congressman Schweikert’s amendment can be found HERE.

 
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David Schweikert is serving his sixth term in the United States Congress.  He holds a seat on the Ways and Means Committee, and is the current the Ranking Member on the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security.  He also is the Lead House Republican on the bicameral Joint Economic Committee, Co-Chairs the Valley Fever Task force with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and is the Republican Co-Chair of the Blockchain Caucus, the Singapore Caucus and the Caucus on Access to Capital and Credit.