Washington - Today, the House will debate the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2016 (H.R. 1735), which includes an amendment sponsored by Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) that would encourage the Pentagon to allow DACA recipients to enlist in the military. Heritage Action released the following statement from chief executive officer Michael A. Needham:
"Advancing an amnesty agenda on the backs of our brave men and women in the military is deplorable. Not only is the Gallego Amendment an explicit endorsement of President Obama's executive amnesty, it would create radical and perverse incentives that would 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."
James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., the Heritage Foundation's vice president for foreign and defense policy studies, added:
"To jam this amnesty provision 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 Gallego Amendment 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."