Graves Votes to Give Troops a Raise, Keep Terrorists at Gitmo

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Sam Graves issued the following statement after voting last night to pass

H.R. 4909, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Graves helped draft the bill and push it through committee earlier this month.

"Thousands of Americans risk their lives every day to serve and protect this country. The best way we can show our appreciation is by giving them everything they need to do their jobs," Rep. Graves said. "But we also have a responsibility to look after their families the same way our troops look after us. I'm grateful that this bill invests in cutting-edge equipment and modernized training systems, but I'm most proud that it includes a fully-funded, fully-offset raise for every single American soldier."

For three straight years, President Obama has denied service members the pay raise that they not only deserve, but are legally entitled to receive. The bill the House passed last tonight reverses widespread cuts and divestments the military has faced under the Obama Administration. H.R. 4909 preserves active duty Army numbers at 480,000, while adding 3,000 Marines and 4,000 Airmen in FY17.

The bill also addressed the troubling and highly publicized shortfalls in our troops' ability to execute missions. The situation has gotten so bad that Air Force pilots have been force to go to museums in order to find discontinued spare parts.

Lastly, it continues to block the Obama administration from closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and transferring terrorists to American prisons.

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