U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) voted in favor of H.R. 5293 on Friday to strengthen the military’s ability to combat terrorist threats posed by militant groups like ISIL and al Qaeda.
“A primary duty of the federal government as enumerated in the Constitution is to provide for the common defense, and in equipping our military to defend our country, we’re ensuring they have the tools they need to defeat ISIS once and for all,” Ratcliffe said. “As a former federal terrorism prosecutor and as a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, I won’t give up fighting to ensure our citizens are protected from the dangers posed by radical Islamist extremism, which ultimately means eradicating the terrorist groups like ISIS that are responsible for directing or inspiring horrific attacks like we witnessed in Orlando.”
The bill supports overseas operations to continue combating terrorist threats, as well as provides a 2.1 percent raise for service men and women. The bill also maintains a prohibition on transfers of detainees from Guantanamo Bay or its closure and funds cooperation programs with Israel to support missile defense programs.
Additionally, the legislation prohibits the Department of Defense from using funds to focus on climate change, prohibits the department from housing undocumented children on military bases and protects the 1033 military surplus program.
“Now is not the time to pat ourselves on the back,” Ratcliffe said. “This is a fight we simply cannot afford to lose.”