Andrew Clyde: “My amendment prevents any funds in this year's Defense appropriations bill from being spent on section 370 of the fiscal…”

“My amendment prevents any funds in this year's Defense appropriations bill from being spent on section 370 of the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, providing a commonsense solution to block unnecessary and frivolous efforts to rename military bases across the country. As a Navy combat veteran, an area of great concern for me is the inessential renaming of military bases and facilities as this issue is not a matter of national security nor an improvement of our military's combat readiness. The Department of Defense's focus should remain on bolstering our defense capabilities and ensuring that we maintain the most lethal fighting force in the world. Instead, the Department of Defense is continuing to pursue plans to rename military bases, two of which, Fort Benning and Fort Gordon, are in my home State of Georgia. The Department of Defense's renaming efforts are expected to cost taxpayers over $62 million and would have a detrimental economic impact in the surrounding communities. Take Fort Gordon, for example, where local small business owners who take great pride in our Nation's military have named their establishments or attractions after the local Army base. If the name of the base is changed, then local entrepreneurs will be forced to rename and rebrand businesses, replacing merchandise and creating completely new marketing strategies, which is not cheap.…”