Reps. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Steve King (R-Iowa), and Pete Sessions (R-Texas) pushed for passage of the Gosar and King amendments to the National Defense Appropriations Act on the House floor Wednesday evening. The Gosar and King amendments would prohibit any funds from being used to enlist illegal aliens who received deferred action through Pres. Obama's DACA amnesty into the military. Votes are scheduled on the Gosar and King amendments this afternoon.
During the House Armed Services Committee's mark-up of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which proceeds the Defense Authorization Act, Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry inserted a Sense of Congress provision into the legislation approving of the Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest (MAVNI) program. The MAVNI program allows the Secretary of Defense to waive enlistment requirements if it serves in the national interest.
On September 25, 2014, Pres. Obama issued a memo authorizing the Secretary of Defense to enlist DACA recipients into the military through the MAVNI program. Neither the MAVNI program nor the DACA amnesty have ever been authorized by Congress.
The Gosar Amendment (#26) to the National Defense Authorization Act specifically prohibits the enlistment of DACA recipients through the MAVNI program, and the King Amendment (#25) also prohibits the military enlistment of DACA recipients. Rep. Sessions, who chairs the House Rules Committee which is tasked with determining what amendments come to the House floor for a vote, not only ruled both amendments in order, but also spoke on the House floor in support of the Gosar amendment.
Both amendments were passed by voice vote, but Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) requested roll call votes. Those votes are scheduled for approximately 12 p.m. on Thursday.
