The around twenty ultra deputies who mark the step to the Republican majority in the United States House of Representatives have just scored a new victory by taking their persistent and electoralist war against abortion, equality policies and LGTBI rights to the army.
By 219 to 210 votes, the Republicans forced the approval in the Lower House of a defense budget law riddled with amendments to prohibit in the Pentagon all considered woke policies, alluding to the "awakening" movement against racism and discrimination that emerged in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century.
Although the rollback measures are expected to be reversed when the bill is debated and voted on this week in the Democratic-majority Senate, it is the first time in decades that the annual military funding bill has passed in a House of Congress without a voter. broad bipartisan consensus and, above all, with the rejection of the party in government. In addition, the probable rejection of the ultras amendments in the Senate does not mean that later it will be easy to agree on a compromise law that both Chambers approve.
At stake is the normal provision of funds to the army to establish its defense policy and support Pentagon programs, as well as to raise the salaries of the troops.
Two of the amendments introduced by the ultras and accepted by almost all the Republicans – plus a few Democrats on some points – seek to prohibit the Pentagon from paying travel expenses for abortions and offering health coverage for gender transition surgeries or therapies. Other provisions establish: the elimination of the offices of diversity, equity and inclusion of the Department of Defense, as well as the positions assigned to them; the annulment of positive discrimination policies in admission decisions to military academies; the ban on the purchase of books that are considered to contain pornographic material or "adopt a radical gender ideology"; the ban on any teaching that qualifies the country or its founding documents as racist, and the non-acceptance of Joe Biden's executive orders on climate change.
The president of the Lower House, Kevin McCarthy, defended with apparent conviction the law approved under pressure from those ultras who made him sweat so much – and made him pay such a high political mortgage, as is now seen – to give his vote in the election to the charge, in January. "A military man can't defend himself if you train him in woke ideas," McCarthy said.
Democrats countered that the introduced amendments would discourage women, transgender people and minorities from enlisting. Which, according to the Democratic chairman of the House Armed Services committee, Adam Smith, "would undermine our ability to meet national security objectives."
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan claimed that the bill passed in the House "will not make it to President Biden's desk" as now written.
The approved budget amounts to 886,000 million dollars and includes a salary increase of 5.2% for military personnel; more funds for Ukraine in its war with Russia; and measures to deal with the "threats" facing the country, with special emphasis on the challenges of China.
