I want to acknowledge the leadership taken by the House and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairs and Ranking Members for tackling some tough issues in this Authorization that previous efforts have ignored. This bill includes bipartisan acquisition reform aimed at containing defense spending. difficult but necessary military retirement and benefit changes. and makes strides towards rightsizing the Pentagon workforce. Critically. it includes provisions that I championed to reform and extend the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SW) program for those brave Afghan men and women who risked their lives to aid our troops. but are now in danger as a result of their courageous service. We cannot allow more of our Afghan allies. and their families. to fall victim to the merciless Taliban. Should this Defense Authorization succumb to a protracted political fight. these provisions dealing with the Afghan SIV program should be broken off and moved through Congress as standalone legislation.
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Visa Immigrant