Republicans like to pose as being strong on defense but they just jeopardized national security for the sake of their radical, right-wing politics: They passed a bill so laden with extremist measures that it will likely die in the Senate, thus setting up a difficult, if not impossible, compromise for funding the military and national defense.
Horsford took to the floor of the House to address Gaetz’s amendment prohibiting federal funds for training on diversity, equity and inclusion. That particular amendment failed but a similar one passed eliminating any offices or personnel for diversity, equity and inclusion in the armed forces and the Department of Defense.
“Every day our military grows more diverse,” Horsford said. But the DEI amendment “does nothing to address the recruitment shortfalls that our services are facing, and instead it will only make it more difficult to recruit Americans on diverse backgrounds representing the true makeup of our nation,” Horsford began.
“What are you so afraid of? Why do you keep bringing these divisive issues to the body of this floor?” Horsford shouted as he continued. You are out of order! You are exhausting, Mr. Gaetz!”
Sadly, the DEI amendment is only one disturbing element of the bill. Instead of focusing on naitional security, Republicans turned the bill into a wish list for Republican extremists.
From The New York Times:
At stake is an $886 billion bill that would grant a 5.2 percent raise to military personnel, include programs to counter aggressive moves by China and Russia, and establish a special inspector general to oversee U.S. aid to Ukraine.
But nearly the entire House debate focused instead on dozens of conservative social policy dictates that Republicans insisted on including. Over near-unanimous Democratic opposition, Republicans attached a provision to undo a Pentagon policy that was put in place after the Supreme Court struck down abortion rights to provide time off and travel reimbursement to service members who must travel out of state to obtain an abortion. Republicans argue the policy runs afoul of federal laws barring taxpayer dollars from being spent on abortions, even though the policy does not include paying for the procedure.
Republicans also added measures prohibiting the military from offering health coverage for gender transition surgeries — which currently require a waiver — and related hormone therapies. They included language that would eliminate all diversity, equity and inclusion offices at the Pentagon, as well as the positions attached to them, and preventing the Defense Department from using affirmative action policies in admissions decisions at the military service academies.
And guess who The Times says Speaker Kevin McCarthy has appointed to his negotiating team with the Senate? The America-hating liar but now loyal-to-him troll, Marjorie Taylor Greene.
