news

Washington, DC – Congressman Steven Palazzo (R-MS) released the following statement after voting in favor of the House FY14 Defense Appropriations bill with responsible reductions in defense spending, military pay raises above the president’s request, and furlough exemptions for deployable, uniformed military personnel.  

“The world is not becoming safer, and the sacrifices our men and women in uniform make are not getting smaller,” Palazzo stated. “With passage of each year’s defense bills, we must ensure we are giving our warfighters all of the tools, training and support that they need to fight and win and return home safely. This bill does that, while providing a military pay raise, responsibly reducing spending, and ensuring all deployable, uniformed military personnel are equally protected from furloughs until Congress enacts a budget deal to end sequestration cuts.”  

The bill included more than $5 billion in strategic and prioritized reductions from the previous year’s budget. It also included a 1.8 percent military pay raise, an increase over the president’s 1 percent request. Palazzo successfully added an amendment to the bill which would include military technicians in a furlough exemption granted to military personnel in July 2012. Palazzo cited the technicians’ omission in the original exemption as a “technicality,” explaining: “My amendment simply ensures we include all of our deployable men and women in uniform in that exemption.”

If passed by the Senate and signed into law, Palazzo’s amendment would go into effect in fiscal year 2014 and would impact the more than 1,400 Mississippi military technicians that received furlough notices earlier this month. It was supported by the National Guard Association of the United States and the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States.

"This amendment is a big first step to correcting an oversight that hurts nearly 50,000 dedicated uniformed soldiers and airmen and erodes the National Guard's ability to respond both at home and abroad," said retired Maj. Gen. Gus L. Hargett Jr, president of the National Guard Association of the United States. "Rep. Steven Palazzo recognized this situation early. His efforts led to yesterday's action. National Guardsmen and those they serve across the country are in his debt."     

“The President, Congress, and DoD all agreed to exempt uniformed personnel from being furloughed in order to limit the impact on military readiness,” stated Seth Waugh, Director of Government Affairs for the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States. “We believe the furlough of National Guard military technicians violates that intent and are pleased that Congressman Palazzo has stood up, once again, for the National Guard.  By allowing these uniformed members of our Armed Forces to be protected in the same way as their active duty counterparts, Congress is honoring their commitment to our military.  Without Congressman Palazzo’s amendment, the readiness of our National Guard will continue to be in jeopardy, not only for state emergencies, but for federal missions as well.”    

**Click here or on the image below for video from Congressman Palazzo’s remarks.**