Larson Votes to Give Troops a Pay Raise, Support Ukraine and NATO Allies, and Rein in Trump-Hegseth Pentagon Power Grab

Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted for the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act, authorizing a pay raise for troops, supporting Ukraine and NATO allies to counter Russian aggression, and repealing the outdated 1991 Gulf War and 2002 Iraq War authorizations. 

“Today’s vote was a win for our troops, allies, and Connecticut workers,” said Larson. “While Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth tried to engulf the Pentagon in their MAGA culture wars, Democrats worked diligently to deliver for our service members and do right by Connecticut’s hard-working machinists and shipbuilders. Together, our delegation, led by our champion on the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Joe Courtney, worked to ensure Connecticut workers continue to build the F135 engine, Blackhawk helicopter, and Columbia and Virginia-class submarines. Whether it is Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, Electric Boat, or the more than one hundred suppliers scattered across our state, our state’s highly skilled workforce will keep powering our armed forces and allies with state-of-the-art equipment for decades to come. 

“I am also proud to see the United States Congress take real action to protect our military from this President’s authoritarian abuses of power,” Larson continued. “Even though President Trump continues his threats to turn our backs on our NATO allies and friends in Ukraine, the bill we passed tonight authorizes new security assistance for Ukraine and puts real protections in place to prevent him from reneging on commitments to our allies in Eastern Europe. And after the recent revelations of illegal military strikes in the Caribbean, we are withholding funding from Secretary Hegseth until he turns over the records Congress is demanding about these strikes.  

“More than 20 years since the wrongheaded war in Iraq, we are also taking action to end the outdated resolutions that presidents of both parties have long used to justify unauthorized military campaigns in the Middle East. I voted against the original 2002 Iraq War Resolution and for years, I have pushed to repeal these overly broad authorizations. I was glad to see my colleagues come together to re-assert some of our war powers authorities and I will continue to advocate for aggressive oversight at the Pentagon. While this bill was not perfect, it gives our troops the pay raise they have earned and deserve, makes significant investments in our state’s manufacturing workforce, and takes real steps to rein in President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s power grabs,” Larson concluded. 

The National Defense Authorization Act: