Kelly Ayotte on Homeland Security

	Kelly Ayotte on Homeland Security

Ensure every veteran receives the support they need

We are blessed to have tens of thousands of veterans living in New Hampshire. Kelly will always honor and assist our veterans to make sure that New Hampshire becomes the most veteran friendly state in the nation. As Governor, Kelly will ensure that the New Hampshire Department of Military Affairs and Veterans Services receives additional support and facilitate better coordination with veteran's service and non-profit organizations so every veteran receives the support they need. Source: 2024 New Hampshire Senate campaign website KellyForNH.com , Aug 1, 2023

Husband is an Iraq war veteran

Kelly's husband, Joe, is an Iraq war veteran who currently serves in the Air National Guard. On the home front, Kelly worked side-by-side with Joe to create a landscape and snow removal company. Source: 2010 Senate campaign website, ayotteforsenate.com, "About" , Dec 25, 2009

Support members of military when they return from overseas

When a reporter asked how to improve public safety on a federal level, Ayotte talked about supporting members of the military when they returned from overseas, ensuring they have proper health care. Source: Shira Schoenberg in Concord Monitor , Aug 12, 2009

No transfers of Gitmo prisoners to US or abroad.

Ayotte sponsored H.R.401 & S.165

Congressional Summary: To extend and enhance limitations on the transfer or release of individuals detained at Guantanamo Bay. No amounts appropriated for any agency of the US Government may be used, for two years, to construct or modify any facility in the US, to house an individual detained at Guantanamo.

Proponents reasons for voting YEA: Rep. WALORSKI: 21 terrorists have been released just in November alone to foreign countries. This measure would repeal current law that has allowed the administration to transfer prisoners to foreign countries and reduce the population at GTMO down to 127. Detainees at GTMO pose a real threat to our national security. HR 401 would prohibit any detainee transfers to Yemen. Yemen`s branch of al Qaeda was founded by former GTMO detainees. We cannot risk trusting the world`s most dangerous terrorists to its most dangerous places, nor should we simply cut them loose in rich, stable countries with no security safeguards in place.

Opponents reasons for voting NAY: (CloseGuantanamo.org article, Jan. 2015): The prison at Guantanamo Bay has been open for 13 years. In 2009, President Obama pledged to close Guantanamo within a year. Yet it remains open, undermining America`s values and national security. Almost half of the remaining 122 prisoners--55 men in total--were cleared for release in 2010 through 2013. Some of these men were previously cleared by the Bush Administration--some as long ago as 2004. It is unacceptable that the U.S. government continues to hold men that its own national security experts have recommended for release or transfer, and that Congress has intervened to maintain this deplorable state of affairs. We call for the immediate closure of Guantanamo. Guantanamo harms our nation every day it stays open, and it continues to serve as a potent symbol for terrorist recruitment.

Source: Detaining Terrorists to Protect America Act 15_S165 on Feb 23, 2015

$515B for military plus $89B off sequester for wars.

Ayotte voted YEA National Defense Authorization Act

Congressional Summary: HR 1735: The National Defense Authorization Act authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies regarding the military activities of the Department of Defense (DOD), and military construction. This bill also authorizes appropriations for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO), which are exempt from discretionary spending limits. The bill authorizes appropriations for base realignment and closure (BRAC) activities and prohibits an additional BRAC round.

Wikipedia Summary: The NDAA specifies the budget and expenditures of the United States Department of Defense (DOD) for Fiscal Year 2016. The law authorizes the $515 billion in spending for national defense and an additional $89.2 billion for the Overseas Contingency Operations fund (OCO).

Opposition statement by Rep. Gerry Connolly (May 15, 2015): Congressman Connolly said he opposed the bill because it fails to end sequestration, and pits domestic investments versus defense investments. Said Connolly, `This NDAA uses a disingenuous budget mechanism to circumvent sequestration. It fails to end sequestration.`

Support statement by BreakingDefense.com(Sept, 2015): Republicans bypassed the BCA spending caps (the so-called sequester) by shoving nearly $90 billion into the OCO account, designating routine spending as an emergency war expenses exempted from the caps. This gimmick got President Barack Obama the funding he requested but left the caps in place on domestic spending, a Democratic priority. `The White House`s veto announcement is shameful,` Sen. John McCain said. `The NDAA is a policy bill. It cannot raise the budget caps. It is absurd to veto the NDAA for something that the NDAA cannot do.`

Legislative outcome: House rollcall #532 on passed 270-156-15 on Oct. 1, 2015; Senate rollcall #277 passed 70-27-3 on Oct. 7, 2015; vetoed by Pres. Obama on Oct. 22, 2015; passed and signed after amendments.

Source: Congressional vote 15-HR1735 on Apr 13, 2015