Senate GOP Works In Anti-‘Woke’ Provisions To Defense Bill Despite Democrat MajorityMicaela Burrow
Investigative Reporter, Defense
June 23, 2023 6:18 PM ET
The Senate Armed Services Committee passed a defense policy bill that includes provisions aiming to hold the Pentagon accountable for its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.
Despite a Democratic majority in the Senate, the committee agreed on the $886 billion bill and called for even higher spending.
“The Pentagon has to remain focused on deterrence rather than a toxic and divisive social agenda,” Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi said in a social media statement after the bill passed.
Defense legislation approved by a key Senate committee Thursday seeks to limit the Pentagon’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) spending amid Republican criticism that such efforts are damaging to military readiness.
The Senate Armed Services Committee authorized an $886.3 billion defense budget for 2024 after hammering out its annual defense policy bill on Wednesday and Thursday behind closed doors, according to a summary of the bill released Friday. While the committee has not published the full text of the bill, the summary and GOP senators touted provisions they said would hold the DEI bureaucracy in the Pentagon accountable and ensure servicemembers are treated on the basis of ability, not race or gender, but does not appear to specifically address ongoing DEI programs in the Department of Defense (DOD).
“The Pentagon has to remain focused on deterrence rather than a toxic and divisive social agenda,” Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi said in a social media statement after the bill passed.
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https://dailycaller.com/2023/06/23/senate-gop-works-in-anti-woke-provisions-to-defense-bill-despite-democrat-majority/
