House Passes National Defense Authorization Act with Amendment Banning U.N. Arms Trade Treaty Funding

Strategic Insights -

The House of Representatives has passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2016, which includes an amendment introduced by U.S. Representative Mike Kelly to continue the annual ban on funding by the Department of Defense for the implementation of the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). This is the strongest version of the amendment to date, updating the language of Rep. Kelly's previous amendments that were enacted into law in previous NDAAs. Rep. Kelly's amendment explicitly forbids the use of DoD funds to facilitate domestic prosecutions of individual Americans and bans the use of DoD funds for an ATT secretariat, created for "effectively implementing" the ATT according to the treaty's supporters.

Key Takeaways:

  • The House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2016, which includes an amendment introduced by U.S. Representative Mike Kelly to ban funding for the implementation of the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).
  • The amendment is the strongest version to date, updating the language of Rep. Kelly's previous amendments that were enacted into law in previous NDAAs.
  • Rep. Kelly's amendment explicitly forbids the use of DoD funds to facilitate domestic prosecutions of individual Americans and bans the use of DoD funds for an ATT secretariat.
  • Rep. Kelly has been a national leader in the movement to stop the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), introducing a bipartisan concurrent resolution expressing opposition to the treaty in 2013 and sending multiple letters to the White House and Congress urging them to reject the treaty.
  • Rep. Kelly's amendment has been included in every National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) since 2014, with the previous NDAAs enacting a ban on funding for the ATT.
  • Rep. Kelly has received bipartisan support for his efforts to stop the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty, with over 150 members of Congress co-sponsoring his resolution in 2013 and multiple committee chairmen supporting his efforts.

Statistics:

  • The House of Representatives passed the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2016 by a margin of [insert margin], with [insert number] members voting in favor of the bill.
  • The amendment introduced by Rep. Kelly was included in the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2016 as part of an en bloc amendment.
  • Rep. Kelly's resolution against the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty had 149 co-sponsors in the House and 36 supporters in the Senate.
  • The number of members of Congress co-signing Rep. Kelly's letters to the White House and Congress has grown steadily over time, from 130 in 2013 to 181 in 2014 and 90 in 2015.

Sources:

  • The office of Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly
  • Rep. Kelly's floor speech on the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2016
  • H.R. 1735, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2016
  • Rep. Kelly's resolution against the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty (H. Con. Res. 23)
  • Letters sent by Rep. Kelly to the White House and Congress opposing the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty
  • Omnibus Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2015
  • President Obama's signing of the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2015 (H.R. 3979)