MEMBER OF CONGRESS

Patrick Ryan

Democrat NY 2 statements translated

House of Representatives

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027

2026-07-21

“I want this bill to pass. It is bipartisan. The government should spend this money. The President should not decide war. We should decide.”

“I don't like this defense bill. I don't like this war. I don't like that my friends died in a war. I don't like that more people died in this war. I don't like spending money on war. I don't like that gas is expensive. I don't like the President. I want to stop spending money on war. I want to spend money on other things. I want to talk about my bill to stop spending money on war.”

Official Congressional Record

Madam Chair, I thank our esteemed ranking member for his leadership. I am here to speak in strong opposition to the entire bill, but I do have to say: To see folks who have never worn the uniform on this House floor try to fight culture-war BS when we are in the middle of an actual war is a grave, grave disservice to those in uniform. My opposition to this bill is deeply personal. It is personal to me. Having served 27 months in combat in Iraq, I watched us double down on a losing strategy year after year while my friends and fellow soldiers, many of whose names are on this memorial bracelet I wear, fought and died. It is personal to the now 18 families who lost their loved ones in this reckless war in Iran--sons, daughters, husbands, wives, somebody's whole world. It is personal to the hundreds more wounded, many carrying injuries that will last their entire lives from this war. It is personal to the American people, people who are working hard, doing everything that they are asked, while watching the cost of their gas, their groceries, and their utility bills skyrocket; watching the President and Hegseth spend over $100 billion of their hard-earned taxpayer dollars while they continue to flail and fail. Now they are trying to ask for another $1.5 trillion of my constituents'--our constituents' taxpayer dollars to double down on this reckless, ill-conceived war. This is a straight-up betrayal from a President, by the way, who promised to end wars, not start wars; a President who has never spent a single day in uniform but is more than willing to send other people's kids to fight in his wars; a President who is now blatantly disregarding the widely held will of the American people and the bipartisan view of this Congress as recognizing the successful passage of a War Powers Resolution by escalating this war rather than winding it down. We can't let that happen. On behalf of all of our constituents, on behalf of the American people, we have to stop throwing good money after bad. We have to stop repeating the mistakes of the forever wars that my generation fought and served in. That is why I have been fighting to include my No Funds for Iran War Act in this NDAA, to make sure we don't spend a single penny more on this reckless forever war in the Middle East; to make sure we are investing here at home to lower housing costs, lower grocery costs, lower utility costs, and lower healthcare costs. That is what the American people want. That is what I am fighting for, and that is what my colleagues here are fighting for. Unfortunately, Mr. Chair, since the majority has refused to include my provision in this bill, I do plan to offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee, and I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Chair, I include in the Record the text of my amendment.

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