Once again, Jake Auchincloss was the only Democratic veteran in the House of Representatives to vote against the latest military budget.
The House on Thursday approved $858 billion for the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an $80 billion increase, $45 billion more than requested by President Joe Biden.
Auchincloss, whose congressional district covers the Attleboro area, is a major in the Marine reserves and a member of the Defense Spending Reduction Caucus.
“The Pentagon is the biggest bureaucracy in the world, and I have never seen a bureaucracy in business or government that could not do 10% more with 10% less,” the Newton Democrat said in a statement.
“I loved my time in the Marines and deeply respect the imperative for a strong and growing U.S. military, but I have always believed that the Pentagon should be spending smarter, not bigger. I cannot support this NDAA because it does not make progress on that front.”
State Sen. Paul R. Feeney, D-Foxboro, will join Massachusetts Treasurer Deborah Goldberg and the Office of Economic Empowerment (OEE) for a virtual event highlighting the Baby Bonds Task Force’s report on establishing an at-birth Massachusetts Baby Bonds program, an asset-building policy aimed at increasing economic opportunities for vulnerable communities. Goldberg will offer opening remarks before panelists dive into the findings from the report on Monday at noon.