Congress easily passes defense bill void of GOP demands on social issues

Dec 14, 2023

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Ian Kennedy (Video Producer)

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The Senate and the House overwhelmingly passed the compromise $886 billion defense budget for 2024. The bill, which was approved by the Senate on Thursday, Dec. 14, was notably void of major social issue provisions sought by some Republicans, such as those on abortion and gender identity.

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The bill allows the Pentagon to pay for travel and time off for service members to obtain abortions and gender-affirming health care. Both of those provisions were blocked in the House version of the bill, but when House and Senate negotiators met, concessions were made to remove those restrictions, and the majority of Republicans in both chambers voted for the final bill.

Here’s what Republicans got in return:

In 2021, President Biden issued an executive order mandating the establishment of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices across all military branches to promote equity within the military. However, the 2024 defense budget will impose a hiring freeze on these DEI offices, and there will be a salary cap for employees working in these departments.

The defense bill incorporates language backed by Republicans, specifically stating that it “prohibits the promotion of critical race theory.”

Additionally, LGBTQ pride flags will not be allowed to be displayed outside military bases – along with any other unapproved flags.

Other sentiments inside the bill that satisfy conservatives are policies that will require the government to find use for border wall materials that have been stored for years.

The budget also permits the hiring of a “special inspector general” to enhance oversight of the tens of billions of dollars sent to Ukraine. The hiring of that position is seen as a win for Republicans in the defense bill negotiations.

Republicans pointed to a lack of transparency as reason for upholding a separate $110 billion aid package. The majority of that money is set aside for Ukraine.

While the majority of Republicans voted with Democrats to approve the defense budget, GOP members are receiving criticism from their own party for conceding to “woke” military policies.

Tags: Abortion, LGBTQ, Military Defense, National Defense Authorization Act, U.S. Congress, U.S. military, Ukraine, Ukraine aid

[Karah Rucker]

BOTH THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OVERWHELMINGLY PASSED THE COMPROMISE $886 BILLION DEFENSE BUDGET FOR 2024. THE BILL WAS NOTABLY VOID OF MAJOR SOCIAL ISSUE PROVISIONS SOUGHT BY SOME REPUBLICANS — SPECIFICALLY ON ABORTION AND GENDER IDENTITY.

THE BILL ALLOWS THE PENTAGON TO PAY FOR TRAVEL AND TIME OFF TO OBTAIN ABORTIONS AND FOR GENDER-AFFIRMING HEALTH CARE FOR MILITARY MEMBERS — BOTH OF WHICH WERE BLOCKED IN THE HOUSE VERSION OF THE BILL.
YET THE MAJORITY OF REPUBLICANS IN BOTH HOUSES VOTED FOR THE FINAL BILL.

NOW SOME ARE WANTING TO KNOW WHY? WHAT CONCESSIONS DID REPUBLICANS RECEIVE?

THE HOUSE-PASSED DEFENSE BILL INCLUDED TWO PROVISIONS THAT BLOCKED THE MILITARY FROM USING TAX-PAYER MONEY TO PAY FOR EXPENSES RELATED TO GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE AND ABORTIONS. WHEN HOUSE AND SENATE NEGOTIATORS MET – CONCESSIONS WERE MADE TO REMOVE THOSE RESTRICTIONS. –
REMEMBER PRESIDENT BIDEN’S EXECUTIVE ORDER IN 2021 REQUIRING ALL MILITARY BRANCHES TO CREATE “DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION” OFFICES TO ADVANCE EQUITY IN THE MILITARY?
IN THE 2024 DEFENSE BUDGET –

THERE WILL BE A HIRING FREEZE IN D-E-I OFFICES AND EMPLOYEES IN THESE DEPARTMENTS WILL HAVE A PAY-CAP.
THE DEFENSE BILL INCLUDES LANGUAGE SUPPORTED BY REPUBLICANS THAT “PROHIBITS THE PROMOTION OF CRITICAL RACE THEORY”.
LGBTQ PRIDE FLAGS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO BE DISPLAYED OUTSIDE MILITARY BASES – ALONG WITH ANY OTHER UN-APPROVED FLAGS.
OTHER SENTIMENTS INSIDE THE BILL THAT SATISFY CONSERVATIVES –
ARE POLICIES THAT WILL REQUIRE THE GOVERNMENT TO FIND A WAY TO **USE BORDER WALL MATERIALS THAT HAVE SAT UNUSED FOR YEARS.

THE BUDGET ALSO ALLOWS FOR THE HIRING OF A “SPECIAL INSPECTOR GENERAL” TO BETTER TRACK THE TENS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS SENT TO UKRAINE.
THE HIRING OF SOMEONE TO OVERSEE THAT MONEY IS SEEN AS A REPUBLICAN WIN IN THE DEFENSE BILL NEGOTIATIONS.
REPUBLICANS POINT TO A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AS REASON FOR UPHOLDING A SEPARATE 110-BILLION-DOLLAR AID PACKAGE –
WITH THE MAJORITY OF THAT MONEY SET ASIDE FOR UKRAINE.

WHILE THE MAJORITY OF REPUBLICANS VOTED WITH DEMOCRATS TO APPROVE THE DEFENSE BUDGET –
THEY ARE RECEIVING CRITICISM FROM WITHIN THEIR OWN PARTY FROM **OTHER REPUBLICANS FOR WHAT THEY CALL CONCEDING TO “WOKE” MILITARY POLICIES.