Rep. George Whitesides

Just after midnight, we passed the bipartisan national defense bill after 12 hours of debate in the House Armed Services Committee Democrats, and it included a lot of important wins for our district.

We’re supporting over 10,000 local jobs across Northern LA County, expanding workforce pipelines, and investing in the next-generation aircraft built in the AV.

I also pushed for oversight and accountability of the Defense Department — launching investigations into insider trading, attacks on the free press, and misuse of military housing.

I’ll keep you updated as we continue fighting for our district!

President Trump has repeatedly suggested he could deploy troops to polling places ahead of the November election.

Today, I stood against creating a quick reaction force of national guard troops which could be used for political purposes or election intimidation.

The constitution guarantees the freedom of the press.

But THIS Defense Department has attacked the free press over and over again.

Journalists are necessary to hold those in power accountable and make sure our government works for the people it serves. This is especially true of our military, who oversees nearly one trillion taxpayer dollars and regularly makes life-and-death decisions.

I spoke up today to bring accountability back to the Pentagon, and ban them from overly curtailing press access.

A nonpolitical military is one of the core pillars of American democracy.

And yet, the Trump administration has repeatedly pushed their political agenda onto the Armed Forces — going as far as to sell campaign merchandise at a nonpartisan event at Fort Bragg.

This amendment is a critical step towards taking politics out of our military — as it was originally designed.

Secretary Hegseth never explained why he personally terminated an investigation into military helicopters flying unauthorized by Kid’s Rock house.

In the House Armed Services Committee Democrats hearing today, I supported an amendment that requires the Defense Department to give a full report on why they canceled the investigation.

Six hours into the NDAA markup and we're making progress.

So far, I've helped secure amendments to strengthen wildfire detection, take on insider trading tied to military events, and ensure that decisions involving nuclear weapons remain in human hands, not AI.

More than 1,000 amendments are being considered today, and we're still going. I'll have a full update on the wins for our communities back home later tonight.

⁨🎥⁩ ⁨Today, the Armed Services Committee begins markup of the National Defense Authorization Act, one of the most important bills Congress considers each year.

What I’m fighting for is simple: taking care of troops and their families, supporting local aerospace jobs, advancing wildfire technology, and strengthening our national defense.

But it’s also an opportunity to increase accountability and push back against corruption in the current administration and abuses of power wherever they occur.

I’ll keep you posted.⁩