The House of Representatives has passed its version of the proposed $886.3 billion Fiscal Year 2024 defense budget and sent it to the Senate. However, conservative amendments attached to the bill that target “culture war” issues are likely to be rejected by the Democrat-led Senate. House Freedom Caucus members and associated Republicans have warned that these amendments may jeopardize the passage of the bill, urging their colleagues to reconsider their stance.
Over the course of two days, the Republican-led House included several controversial amendments in the defense budget. These included repealing the Department of Defense’s abortion travel policy, banning gender transition procedures in DOD healthcare programs, and introducing a DOD ‘Parents Bill of Rights’. Additionally, they proposed other measures that targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion programs within the defense sector.
Representative Ralph Norman, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, expressed his hope that the Senate would reject these “woke” policies imposed by the Biden administration. He stated that “business as usual is over” and called for senators to join them in opposing the administration’s agenda. Norman emphasized that their efforts were driven by the desire for “freedom.”
The Democratic-led Senate, with a slim 51-49 majority, will now begin deliberations on their own version of the defense budget, known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). While both chambers’ budgets align in terms of spending, the Senate version does not include the controversial amendments proposed by the House. The discrepancies between the two versions will be resolved through conferences between the chambers in order to present a unified NDAA for adoption before the new fiscal year begins.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries condemned the House defense budget, stating that it embodied a “right-wing agenda” rather than focusing on the nation’s security needs. He called on Senate Democrats to reject the “culture war” add-ons and pass a responsible defense budget. Jeffries accused Republicans of using the NDAA to promote their “extreme right-wing ideology” and urged senators to prevent these amendments from being included.
One amendment that Republicans are unlikely to concede on is the repeal of the DOD’s abortion travel policy. Representative Ronny Jackson argued that this policy violated existing laws prohibiting the use of DOD funds for abortions. Jackson and House Freedom Caucus members praised Senator Tommy Tuberville, who has blocked numerous Pentagon promotions to protest the policy. They affirmed their commitment to ensuring taxpayer money is allocated to national defense and not towards what they called the Biden administration’s “radical immoral pro-abortion agenda.”
Republican Representative Lauren Boebert highlighted the various achievements of their amendments, including the ban on funding for drag queen shows, critical race theory, and the abolition of the DOD’s chief diversity officer position. Boebert emphasized that they were just getting started and that their actions were intended to counter the politicization of the military by the Biden administration.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise expressed disappointment over the majority of Democrats voting against the proposed NDAA. He criticized their opposition as an attempt to defend a “far-left ‘woke’ indoctrination ideology” instead of prioritizing national defense. Scalise praised the unity among Republicans and their focus on defending America and its allies.
Democrats, on the other hand, vowed to continue opposing the amendments, believing that public opinion is on their side. They criticized the adopted version of the NDAA, denouncing it as a compilation of “right-wing bigotry” and accusing Republicans of indulging in fantasies about abortion, racial diversity, and homophobia. Democrats expressed hope that the Senate would address these flaws and pass a bill that the majority of Americans would support.
Representative Nancy Mace, a Republican moderate, who voted for repealing the DOD’s abortion policy, justified her vote by highlighting that it was only implemented less than a year ago after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs ruling. Mace, along with other moderate Republicans in swing districts, will need to consider the opinions of Democrats and independent voters in order to secure their re-election.
As the defense budget moves to the Senate for further deliberations, the fate of the controversial amendments and the ultimate passage of a unified NDAA remain uncertain. Both chambers will engage in negotiations to reconcile their differences and present a bill that addresses the nation’s defense needs while accommodating the concerns of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
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