National Security

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) released the following statement on the passage of H.R.3166, legislation requiring the Secretary of the Department of Defense (DoD) to modernize forms and surveys containing racially or ethnically insensitive terminology: “The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (NDAA), which passed in the House of Representatives earlier today, included the text of my legislation, H.R.3166. I introduced this legislation after it was brought to my attentio... Read more

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) made the following statement after the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, appointed him to chair the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, during the 116th Congress: “For more than four decades, the Helsinki Commission has championed human rights and democracy across North America, Europe, and Central Asia. While we have worked to keep these concerns on the U.S. agenda, much remains to be accomplished. Rogue... Read more

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) released the following statement after his amendment to H.R.6237, the Matthew Young Pollard Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019, was adopted by voice vote in the House of Representatives. H.R.6237 subsequently passed in the House of Representatives today by a vote of 363-54. “Expanding the intelligence community’s (IC) recruitment of minorities in rural and underserved regions of the United States is a common-sense step to building a... Read more

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) made the following statement after his amendments to the H.R.6157, the Department of Defense (DOD) Appropriations Act, Fiscal Year 2019, were adopted by the House of Representatives: “I was pleased to offer a number of amendments to the FY19 Defense Appropriations Act that were adopted with bipartisan support this week. These amendments will direct millions of dollars to cybersecurity training and recruitment, and congressionally directed peer-reviewed breast... Read more

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) released the following statement after his amendment to H.R.5895, the Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, adding millions of dollars to cybersecurity of the electric power grid, was rejected by Republicans in the House: “Every aspect of daily life, from the use of cellphones, to functioning traffic lights, to the cooling of our homes during summer, relies on the electric power grid. While we... Read more

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) released the following statement after the House of Representatives adopted his amendments to H.R.5515, the FY19 National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 351-66: “I was pleased to offer a number of amendments to the FY19 NDAA that were adopted with bipartisan support. The NDAA is sweeping legislation, and this year’s bill was overwhelmingly bipartisan. My amendments will be highly beneficial for veterans and a... Read more

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) released the following statement after President Trump ordered military strikes against the Syrian regime, in response to the brutal chemical weapons attack on civilians in Douma: “Last week’s chemical weapon attack in Douma, like the one carried out in April 2017 against the town of Khan Shaykhun, is an outrageous war crime perpetrated by the Assad regime. The use of chemical weapons requires a swift, strong, and deliberate international response. “The Presi... Read more

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) released the following statement on President Donald John Trump’s release of House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) Chairman David Nunes’ misleading FISA Memo: “As the Former Vice Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I am outraged that Republicans wrote a classified memo and then voted to make it public in order to undermine the Mueller investigation. The partisan memo is rife with misrepresentations and inaccura... Read more

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) released the following statement on President Donald John Trump's address to the nation on Afghanistan: “President Trump declared that Americans are ‘weary of war without victory.’ Americans are weary of war, period. For more than 17 years, our country has waged a seemingly never-ending war in Afghanistan, at a cost of thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars. “The American people deserve to know what President Trump is asking of their sons and ... Read more

Today, Congressman Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) released the following statement marking Memorial Day: “As we mark Memorial Day, let us join together to give thanks to the servicemen and servicewomen that have sacrificed for our country. As we honor their courage, we must reflect on the ideals for which they served and rededicate ourselves to upholding these quintessential American values. “In recognizing those who have bravely served our country, we must acknowledge the many challenges facing veter... Read more