The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on House Democratic leadership and every member of Congress to vote NO on the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) as it moves to the House floor, unless US-Israel Military Merger is removed.
CAIR has an active action alert urging Congress to oppose similar provisions in the Senate version of the NDAA and is calling on lawmakers to remove these provisions or vote against final passage of the legislation.
The NDAA currently sits before the House Rules Committee and includes several deeply troubling provisions and amendments that still can be considered, including:
- Section 219: Permanent U.S.-Israel Military Integration. Rather than prioritizing America’s own defense needs, Section 219 permanently embeds Israeli defense technology, intelligence sharing, weapons development, and military planning within U.S. defense institutions. This goes far beyond traditional military assistance by creating a lasting framework for joint weapons production, research, and operational cooperation that future administrations and Congresses will find increasingly difficult to unwind. It further erodes congressional oversight, reduces U.S. strategic independence, and risks drawing American taxpayers and servicemembers even deeper into conflicts that are not America’s own.
- Amendment 151: Expanding Anti-Boycott Laws to Silence Americans. This amendment revives the controversial IGO Anti-Boycott Act by expanding federal anti-boycott laws to penalize Americans who participate in boycotts of Israel requested or supported by international organizations such as the United Nations or European Union. Americans should never face government punishment for engaging in peaceful political expression protected by the First Amendment. Congress should defend the Constitution—not criminalize political viewpoints.
- Amendment 362: Political Loyalty Tests for Federal Contractors. This amendment requires the Department of Defense to certify that contractors do not participate in the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Israel, effectively conditioning eligibility for federal contracts on an individual’s or company’s political beliefs. The federal government should award contracts based on merit and performance—not compel political conformity or discriminate against Americans because of their constitutionally protected views.
Israel already receives approximately $3.8 billion annually in U.S. military assistance under a ten-year memorandum of understanding that runs through 2028. Since October 2023, Congress has approved billions more in emergency military assistance and weapons transfers beyond that annual commitment, making Israel the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign aid in modern history.
Section 219 would move even further by shifting from providing military assistance to institutionalizing long-term defense integration between the United States and Israel. Policy analysts have warned that the provision establishes a framework for expanded joint weapons development, defense-industrial cooperation, intelligence integration, and military research that would make future congressional oversight and policy changes significantly more difficult.
CAIR has an active action alert urging Congress to oppose similar provisions in the Senate version of the NDAA and is calling on lawmakers to remove these provisions or vote against final passage of the legislation.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]