WASHINGTON -- Today, U.S. Senator Tom Udall released the following statement applauding the removal of several policy provisions from the final National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would have weakened environmental, land and wildlife protections. Udall fought to keep the NDAA free of these unrelated and damaging policy riders.
“The national defense policy bill, which authorizes pay and provisions for our troops, is no place to jam in unrelated measures that weaken protections for the environment and wildlife. I’m proud to have fought to keep the NDAA clean of these toxic riders, and I look forward to voting in favor of a bill that supports our national defense and the men and women in our armed services. In the future, we must continue to block poison pill, anti-environment provisions – whether in appropriations or other unrelated legislation -- and send the clear message that extreme, partisan efforts to gut endangered species safeguards and other bedrock environmental protections will not pass muster in Congress. Our environmental laws were passed on a bipartisan, consensus basis, and any successful efforts to update them will need to take a similar approach.”
