Recap: We Won 5 Amendments to the Defense Bill
We need to keep you better informed. Because stuff is happening. And we're making it happen.
A week ago, I told you that we were proposing 20 serious amendments to the annual Defense Department Appropriations bill, which spends more than half a trillion dollars of our money each year. I'm talking major progressive amendments -- not an amendment to rename a military base, or to award a no-bid contract to some needy, deserving and sadly impoverished defense contractor (excuse me, as tears well up in my eyes).
Here's what happened:
Three of our amendments were very similar to amendments submitted by other Members. We pulled those. We've got plenty to do; we don't need to step on anyone else's toes.
Twelve of our amendments were stuffed, unfortunately, by the Republicans on the House Rules Committee. The Republicans outnumber the Democrats on the Rules Committee by nine to four. It's like the Indians versus General Custer at Little Big Horn. We do sometimes win at the Rules Committee, but it's always a struggle. So at the Rules Committee, we bid farewell to amendments on:
- suicide prevention for U.S. troops;
- an end to Pentagon censorship of news sources for U.S. soldiers;
- a ban on charging military families to enroll in health coverage;
- a prohibition on employing the U.S. military to steal Afghan oil; and
- prevention of no-bid contract awards to foreign contractors.
Among others. One of the Grayson amendments that the Rules Committee deep-sixed was a ban on DOD surveillance of U.S. citizens on U.S. soil, unless there is probable cause demonstrating their involvement in terrorism -- the "Mind Your Own Business Act" in the form of an amendment. Something similar, the Amash-Conyers Amendment, did come up for a vote, and was barely defeated, by a vote of 217 to 205.
Do the math: twenty minus three minus twelve equals . . . five. We maneuvered five amendments to the DOD Appropriations Act through the House Rules Committee. That was more than any other Member of the House, Democrat or Republican, despite the fact that the Republicans dominate the Rules Committee, and I'm a . . . Democrat. But you knew that already.
Here are our Fabulous Five amendments:
1.) Subtract $10 million from the war budget, and spend it instead on research to find a cure for the 250,000 victims of "Gulf War Syndrome" -- a 50% increase in that research budget.
2.) Subtract another $10 million from the war budget, and spend it instead on prostate cancer research.
3.) No defense contracts to any contractor convicted of fraud, bribery, and ten other major offenses.
4.) A cap on the number of generals and admirals, because there are 25% more today than there were at the height of the Cold War (when there were far more U.S. soldiers to command), and because each general costs more than $1 million in staff costs alone.
5.) A BAN ON TORTURE. (I put this in capital letters, because it deserves it.)</ol>
They all passed. To repeat, all five of these Grayson Amendments passed, and they are now part of the DOD Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2014.
Because I had more amendments to the bill ruled "in order" by the Rules Committee than any other Member of the House, and because every single one of them passed, we had more amendments to this bill than any other Member -- by a wide margin.
Not bad, huh? Is it OK to brag a bit? Because this week, Team Grayson has something to brag about.
And why did the Republicans refrain from voting these amendments down? I don't know; you'd have to ask them. Maybe they felt a little queasy about defending crooked defense contractors, or torture. Maybe it bothers them that there is still no treatment for Gulf War Syndrome, 22 years after the Gulf War ended.
It doesn't matter. We got the job done.
And by "we," I don't mean the "royal we." I mean you and me. You are part of Team Grayson. You are one of the Boys (and Girls) in Blue. If you have ever signed one of our petitions, if you have ever made a phone call or sent an e-mail because we asked, if you ever sent a dime to our campaign, then you helped to make this happen.
Go Team!
Courage,
Rep. Alan Grayson
= new reply since forum marked as read
Should post this in GD too!
Thank you!!!!!! 
