House GOP passes defense bill with conservative priorities

The House of Representatives approved $886 billion in defense spending for next fiscal year Friday — as well as conservative Republican-backed amendments that ban US military funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs, the teaching of critical race theory and so-called “green” energy initiatives.

The 2024 National Defense Authorization Act passed the House 219-210, with Democratic Reps. Don Davis of North Carolina, Jared Golden of Maine, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington and Gabe Vasquez of New Mexico joining 215 Republicans in voting for the measure.

Four Republicans — Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Ken Buck of Colorado, Eli Crane of Arizona and Thomas Massie of Kentucky — opposed the spending bill.

Five lawmakers — Reps. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), Jason Smith (R-Mo.) and Brandon Williams (R-NY) — did not vote.

The vote represented another messaging win for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who demonstrated his skill in wrangling the narrow Republican majority to pass a bill that increases US military spending by $28 billion from fiscal year 2023 levels — including a 5.2% pay raise for service members.

“Under this bill, men and women in uniform who make sacrifices for our nation every day will receive the biggest pay raise in decades. We all know they deserve it,” McCarthy told reporters following the vote. “Radical programs that are forced on our troops at the expense of readiness are now eliminated. Cutting-edge technology that is essential for the future of this country, and to keep freedom around the world in the rise of China and Russia will receive more investment than we’ve watched in the past. And taxpayers will save more than $40 billion as this bill roots out wasteful spending.”

The Democrat-controlled Senate is deliberating its own version of the bill, which is expected to pass by the end of the month. The House and Senate bills must be reconciled before heading to President Biden’s desk for a signature.

While funding an array of defense programs, the legislation also prohibited Pentagon spending on training involving critical race theory, removed the Defense Department’s chief diversity officer position, banned drag shows at military sites and declined to authorize climate change programs, among other provisions.

Other amendments from Reps. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), Ralph Norman (R-SC) and Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.) prohibited the secretary of defense from reimbursing employees for abortions or paying for transgender service members’ sex-reassignment surgeries or gender hormone therapy.

Democrats fiercely denounced Republicans for including the conservative priorities in what is normally a bipartisan exercise.

“Extreme MAGA Republicans have chosen to hijack the historically bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act to continue attacking reproductive freedom and jamming their right-wing ideology down the throats of the American people,” House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) said in a statement.

“House Republicans have turned what should be a meaningful investment in our men and women in uniform into an extreme and reckless legislative joyride.”

The bill included bipartisan motions from the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the US and the Chinese Communist Party, including $9.7 billion toward deterrence efforts in the Indo-Pacific region, counter-espionage efforts and strengthening ties with Taiwan through field training and cybersecurity.

“The real question that you never asked me that I wish you would, ‘Why did the Democrats vote no?’” McCarthy asked reporters. “Technically it’s a bipartisan vote that four Democrats vote with us. Are the rest of the Democrats against a pay raise for their veterans? Are they against deterring China for a safe future? Are they against rooting out wasteful spending? Because they all voted against it today.”

The lower chamber also embraced nuclear deterrence and missile defense provisions against China and Russia while rejecting proposals from far-right Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) that prohibited cluster munitions and further security assistance to Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia.

Several defense programs were cut to the tune of $40 billion due to outdated weapons systems, vehicles and equipment.