(NewsGlobal.com)- Last week, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar proposed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) warning that the current bill would prevent the Pentagon from distributing humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.
In a tweet last Wednesday, Omar decried the “most horrific humanitarian crisis” Afghanistan is facing and said the US should be doing everything in its power to provide humanitarian assistance rather than “needlessly limiting the aid we can supply.”
The following day, the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act easily passed in a 329 to 111 vote bipartisan vote.
In a statement after the House vote, Omar blasted the massive spending $839 billion defense spending bill, accusing Congress of lining the pockets of defense contractors while letting Minnesotans struggle under high consumer prices.
She said despite the amendment she introduced, the final bill blocks the Pentagon from distributing humanitarian aid to the Afghan people while continuing to militarize the Middle East and Indo-Pacific and selling weapons “to some of the most heinous human rights abusers in the world.”
The question is, why should the Department of Defense be providing humanitarian aid? It’s the Department of Defense, not the Department of Humanitarian Aid.
The Pentagon is responsible for the country’s defense. It isn’t a charity.
It should be more concerning to the American people that the NDAA passed in the House included an amendment from Congressman Adam Schiff to “prohibit the use of evidence obtained with the assistance of a member of the Armed Forces in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.”
In a nutshell, Schiff’s amendment will hamstring Congressional oversight of domestic military deployments and the National Guard.
Critics of the amendment pointed out last week that it could limit Congressional oversight over a wide range of issues from border security to the January 6 riot at the Capitol.
It’s almost as if Schiff is trying to hide something.
Republican conference chair Elise Stefanik blasted Schiff’s amendment calling it “un-American.” She said the measure will “irreparably erode Congress’ constitutional oversight responsibility.”
