Fix the Defense Authorization Act

The “lame duck” Congress is set to consider the annual defense authorization bill. This legislation matters because it sets pay and benefits for the troops, starts new military programs and provides policy guidance.

For example, such statutes have previously been used to prohibit President Obama from closing the U.S. jihadist detention center at Guantanamo Bay.

This year, though, the draft legislation would make cuts in some military compensation, while spending hundreds of millions of dollars for two years arming and training so-called “moderate rebels” in Syria. Ironically, some of those “moderates” have wound up joining the Islamic State, a murderous jihadist group that is estimated to have thirty former Gitmo detainees in its ranks.

Let’s give our long-suffering troops the money they deserve – starting with that being squandered on immoderates in Syria.