Washington -- Today, Heritage Action announced it would key vote against the National Defense Authorization Act if the ENLIST Act (H.R. 2377), which is also a key vote, is added as an amendment to the NDAA. Heritage Action released the following statement from chief executive officer Michael A. Needham:
Advancing an amnesty-first agenda on the backs of our brave men and women in the military is deplorable. The ENLIST Act creates radical and perverse incentives that will have a negative impact on our military and our immigration system. It has no place in a debate over the future of our military, which is currently reducing personnel. The House Rules Committee should keep this contentious issue out of the NDAA.
James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., the Heritage Foundation's vice president for foreign and defense policy studies, added:
To jam this act into the NDAA goes beyond the pale in playing politics with national security. This literally destroys the credibility of the NDAA as must-pass legislation that the nation needs to provide for the common defense. The ENLIST Act is unnecessary for national security; makes a mockery of U.S. immigration law; and is a slap in the face to those who want to come here and play by the rules.