October 09, 2025

Duckworth To Block Passage of National Defense Authorization Act Until Senate Holds Hearing on Trump’s Military Deployments to American Cities

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today blocked the Senate from expediting passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Duckworth also issued the following statement announcing she will continue to block the legislation that sets our nation’s defense policies until and unless the Republican Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) commits to holding a public hearing to receive testimony from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) on President Donald Trump’s unlawful and unconstitutional deployment of U.S. military troops to intimidate Americans in their own communities:

“Donald Trump’s domestic deployment of the U.S. Armed Forces over the strong objections of State Governors is unlawful, unconstitutional and extremely alarming—especially considering President Trump’s un-American declaration that the military should forcibly invade and occupy American cities for use as ‘training grounds’ as it wages ‘a war from within.’ This is not about law and order and never has been—Donald Trump has been looking for any pretext to call the National Guard into States that he lost in the 2024 election.

“Our military men and women signed up to defend the constitution and our rights, not be used as political props or to silence dissent. President Trump’s willingness to disrupt the lives of National Guard members and their families is disgraceful, as is Trump’s failure to uphold his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed by federalizing the National Guard when he is clearly able to enforce the law in Illinois, California and Oregon, without military occupation.

“President Trump is carrying out an authoritarian’s playbook that jeopardizes Americans’ constitutional rights, undermines military readiness and weakens national security. Yet, despite the request of every Democratic Senator serving on the Senate Armed Services Committee over three weeks ago, the Republican Chairman has refused to hold a hearing in open session to examine this growing constitutional crisis and force the Trump administration to truthfully answer questions.

“That is why I must object to any request to expedite Senate consideration of the NDAA until the Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman agrees to schedule a public hearing to receive testimony from the Trump administration. This request is eminently reasonable and essential in ensuring our Committee fulfill its constitutional duty to oversee the Executive Branch.”

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