Congressional Democrats prioritize woke culture over crucial NDAA amendments
Max Mallhi
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The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2024 is expected to be voted on sometime before members of Congress leave for August recess. This year, the annual bipartisan bill has become a tug of war over issues that shouldn’t be a hurdle when considering defense policy: the woke agenda.
It’s as if congressional Democrats want woke underpinnings to be a normal part of business in policymaking. Most Democrats in Congress prioritize the woke agenda in major pieces of legislation, as seen in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in 2021 and the CHIPS Act passed last year. The current NDAA battle is no different. With more than 1,500 amendments filed and a vote expected to take place soon, the Democrats have proved their priorities lie in their commitment to keeping the military woke.
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Abortion practices, transgender surgeries, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, climate change, and Ukraine funding are all now a part of the debate over the activities and programs taking place in the Department of Defense for fiscal 2024. A peak at Democratic amendments to the bill tells us the whole story. Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s (D-NJ) amendment requires military departments to “reimburse members for travel costs incurred if a member must travel to a different jurisdiction for an abortion,” while Rep. Adriano Espaillat’s (D-NY) amendment seeks to “promote diversity, inclusion, and equal opportunity in the Department of Defense and the Armed Services’ highest rankings.” But Republicans aim to use their majority to fight back against the woke infiltration of our military to safeguard security interests.
An amendment proposed by Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) “emphasizes the importance of the military remaining apolitical to maintain its readiness and effectiveness” with reference to the politicization of the DOD and promotion of drag show performances. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) amendment would eliminate further U.S. financing of the Russia-Ukraine war until a diplomatic solution is reached. Other GOP amendments prioritizing American taxpayer interests up for consideration include prohibiting the financing of transgender surgeries, abortion procedures, or establishing new DEI administrator positions. Not only are these amendments aimed at eliminating wasteful federal spending, but they are also making sure that financial irresponsibility and sociocultural distractions don’t negatively affect the military’s war preparedness.
Other amendments seek to promote American ideals. For instance, Rep. Wesley Hunt’s (R-TX) amendment proposes designating July as “American Pride Month,” while Rep. Chip Roy’s (R-TX) amendment prohibits DOD funding to promote racist ideas such as one race being inherently superior or inferior to others, an individual’s moral character or worth being determined by their race, or an individual bearing responsibility for the actions committed by other members of their race. But Democratic members of Congress do not want to look at policymaking through the lens of real solutions.
Representatives from the New Democratic Coalition have sent a letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) urging him to “choose between caving to the most extreme elements of his party that seek to compromise our national defense or working with sensible lawmakers to support all of our troops.” In essence, these Democrats are implying that measures slashing wasteful spending and removing partisan elements from the Pentagon are “extreme.” The White House has condemned GOP amendment efforts targeting woke initiatives and has made baseless arguments that their actions put the DOD “at a strategic disadvantage.”
Ranking member of the House Rules Committee Jim McGovern (D-MA) called GOP amendments “radical,” twisting the narrative and accusing the GOP of including every social issue into the bill when really their amendments are simply undoing all previous Democratic efforts that have made the Pentagon woke. According to him, “the clowns have taken over the circus.” But this ignores the fact that the House GOP is actually removing the clowns from the circus that Democrats have attempted to create in the Pentagon.
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Max Mallhi is a summer 2023 Washington Examiner fellow.