Ocasio-Cortez Submits Amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act
Washington, D.C. - Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) introduced amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that aim to promote human rights, fight climate change, and end U.S. practices that contribute to human rights abuses, threaten democracy, and enable corruption.
The House Rules Committee is scheduled to consider the amendments today. A full House floor vote on the National Defense Authorization Act is expected later this week.
The amendments can be found below.
| Amendment No. | Policy Area | Objective |
|---|---|---|
| Ocasio-Cortez 272 | Defense Oversight: xAI | Directs the Department of Defense to cancel contracts for xAI, Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company. This amendment follows a July 2025 incident with the xAI chatbot, Grok, where the chatbot began praising Adolf Hitler and making antisemitic comments in response to user inquiries. |
| Ocasio-Cortez 1132 | Defense Oversight: Arms Transfers | Prohibits the transfer or provision of any defense articles or defense services until the President has obtained written assurances, and Congress has provided statutory authorization, that the recipient country is not prohibiting or otherwise restricting the transport or delivery of humanitarian assistance. |
| Ocasio-Cortez 261 | Democracy: Colombia | Prohibits Department of Defense funds from being used to support individuals involved in attempts to overthrow the democratically elected Colombian President Gustavo Petro. Cosponsored by Rep. Greg Casar (TX-35) |
| Ocasio-Cortez 635 | Democracy: Brazil | Mandates the Department of Defense to distribute a report explaining the national security rationale used by Donald Trump to impose tariffs on Brazil. |
Democracy: Brazil | (FY-2025 Reintroduction) Requires the Secretary of State to submit an unclassified report to Congress on an overview of the US-Brazil military partnership between 1964 and 1985. | |
| Ocasio-Cortez 630 | Democracy: Chile | (FY 2025 Reintroduction) Requires the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the Central Intelligence Agency, to conduct a declassification review of documents related to the U.S.'s involvement in Chile's coup of 1973. Cosponsored by Rep. Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX-20), & Rep. Greg Casar (TX-35) |
| Ocasio-Cortez 433 | Human Rights: Ecuador | Restricts the use of Department of Defense funds for security cooperation with the Ecuadorian government until Secretary Hegseth certifies to Congress that Ecuador is adhering to human rights laws. Cosponsored by Rep. Greg Casar (TX-35) |
| Ocasio-Cortez 262 | Human Rights: Colombia | (FY 2025 Reintroduction) Calls on the Department of Defense to produce a report on past human rights violations in Colombia, including an overview of the United States/Colombia military partnership from 1980-2010. |
Human Rights: Peru | Requires that the Secretary of Defense submit a certification addressing human and civil rights violations in Peru and ensuring human rights conditions are implemented on security assistance to Peru after the mass killing of protesters in Peru in 2022 and 2023. | |
| Ocasio-Cortez 271 | Environment: U.S. Military Bases | Mandates the Government Accountability Office (GAO) file a report on the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of abandoned United States military bases. Cosponsored by Rep. Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) |
| Ocasio-Cortez 462 | Environment: Bangladesh | Requires the Department of Defense to develop a framework to support Bangladesh's response to extreme weather events. Cosponsored by Rep. Lloyd Doggett (TX-37) |