{"id":124138,"date":"2023-06-22T13:39:27","date_gmt":"2023-06-22T13:39:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2023\/06\/22\/gop-lawmakers-target-diversity-training-covid-rules-in-defense-bill\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T15:42:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T15:42:31","slug":"gop-lawmakers-target-diversity-training-covid-rules-in-defense-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2023\/06\/22\/gop-lawmakers-target-diversity-training-covid-rules-in-defense-bill\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP lawmakers target diversity training, COVID rules in defense bill"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republican House lawmakers on Wednesday turned the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2023\/06\/19\/defense-bill-work-ramps-up-but-senate-keeps-debate-out-of-public-view\/\" target=\"_blank\">annual defense authorization bill debate<\/a> into a referendum on a host of controversial social issues, attaching limits on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2023\/04\/10\/the-diversity-bogeyman-is-the-us-too-woke-to-wage-war\/\" target=\"_blank\">diversity training<\/a>, transgender rights and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2022\/12\/07\/military-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-repealed-in-defense-bill-compromise\/\" target=\"_blank\">covid vaccines<\/a> to the sweeping military policy measure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The contentious, marathon mark-up before the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2023\/01\/25\/armed-services-committee-adds-11-members-quality-of-life-panel\/\" target=\"_blank\">House Armed Services Committee<\/a> featured 14-plus hours of escalating partisan fights over the bill, which outlines more than $800 billion in spending priorities and policy changes for the military in fiscal 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many of the fights mirrored provisions championed by Republicans in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/management\/budget\/2023\/06\/14\/budget-bill-bans-military-abortions-transgender-care-diversity-work\/\" target=\"_blank\">defense appropriations bill unveiled a week earlier<\/a>, and several lawmakers hinted even more could come in full chamber discussion on the measures expected next month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI hope we go far beyond this in the floor debate,\u201d said Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., author of several of the most divisive measures in Wednesday\u2019s mark-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2023\/06\/14\/budget-bill-bans-military-abortions-transgender-care-diversity-work\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"219\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP22244802496124.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">GOP bill bans military abortions, transgender care, diversity work<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The $826.5 billion spending plan is likely to face strong resistance from the White House and Senate Democrats.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democratic lawmakers on the panel repeatedly blasted the arguments as a waste of time and little more than political posturing for GOP members intent on crafting re-election campaign points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt blows my mind that we have been sitting here for hours talking about diversity, equity, and inclusion,\u201d said Rep. Marilyn Strickland, D-Wash. \u201cIf the military is going to be successful, it has to evolve with society in the 21st century. We are more diverse and we are more inclusive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But they also largely supported the final product, which passed out of committee on a 58-1 vote. Democrats praised the measure as critical to supporting troops and military families, ignoring the problematic provisions in their rounds of late-night celebratory press releases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The authorization bill includes a host of routine military instructions, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2023\/06\/12\/house-lawmakers-back-plans-for-biggest-military-pay-raise-in-22-years\/\" target=\"_blank\">a 5.2% pay raise for troops next January<\/a>, renewal of dozens of enlistment and re-enlistment bonuses, and financial help for the lowest-ranking service members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But during committee debate on Wednesday, Republicans added a lengthy list of conservative priorities via party-line votes, moves they say are needed to rein in political posturing by military leaders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among the list: banning defense officials from sponsoring drag shows on military bases, eliminating funding for diversity training and diversity-related jobs, banning \u201ccritical race theory\u201d at service academies and requiring that parents have more say in how Defense Department schools craft lesson plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2023\/04\/10\/the-diversity-bogeyman-is-the-us-too-woke-to-wage-war\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/academyracism3.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Diversity: Necessary for readiness or the bogeyman?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Republicans say the diversity conversation has taken over the military. Pentagon leaders disagree.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And even though last year\u2019s authorization bill ended the military\u2019s requirement that troops get vaccinated against COVID-19, Republicans renewed the fight in this year\u2019s bill, demanding financial protections for troops booted out for refusing vaccinations and blocking future similar inoculation requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The moves \u201care necessary to prevent the Department of Defense from doubling down on the wrongful treatment of our service members,\u201d said Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., during debate over the COVID-19 provisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether any of the provisions can survive negotiations with the Democratic-controlled Senate remains to be seen. The Senate Armed Services Committee is expected to unveil its draft of the authorization bill later this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">House appropriators included similar provisions \u2014 and a ban on Defense Department abortion assistance \u2014 in their budget bill. Senate appropriators have not yet unveiled their plans, but several key Democrats have already publicly decried the House plans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The annual defense authorization bill debate in the House focused mainly on hot-button social 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