Staff Reports
Republican members of the U.S. Congress have pledged to reduce funding on “woke” priorities from the defense budget with the aim of enhancing the strength of the U.S. military and countering China, which is viewed as becoming increasingly aggressive. In an interview with the Daily Caller News Foundation, Texas Republican Representative Keith Self stated, “We need to scrub everything out that is not increasing our lethality, that does not contribute to our lethality, and turn our budget into making the most nimble, the most powerful military.”
Republicans Vow To Cut Wokeness From Defense Budget https://t.co/oTagQq12Xf
— US Burning (@UsBurning) February 8, 2023
The GOP’s platform includes reducing expenses on “woke” such as renewable energy, transgender services, and diversity initiatives. Former House Armed Services Committee member and 26-year Navy veteran, Rep. Scott Franklin of Florida, told the DCNF that wokeness in the military is “hard to put your finger on” but is “absolutely a critical driver in our inability to meet our recruiting goals.” The Army failed to meet its recruiting targets by 25% in 2022, forcing recruiters to shift their focus from rural regions to urban ones, possibly alienating rural Americans who had historically enlisted in the military.
The latest defense spending bill for 2023 has approved funding for millions of dollars for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, as well as for green energy policies and research funds aimed specifically at universities serving minority communities. House members stated to the DCNF that “woke” provisions in the defense budget can be removed while still preserving crucial defense spending.
In January, Texas Republican Representative Chip Roy proposed legislation in the House to remove funding for the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer and Senior Advisor for Diversity and Inclusion positions in the Department of Defense. The bill aims to eliminate financing for so-called “woke” initiatives such as supporting transgender surgeries and providing diversity and transgender-affirming training at U.S. military schools.
In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, President Biden emphasized his commitment to fortifying the military and countering the threat posed by a warlike and expanding China. However, Republican lawmakers disputed this claim, pointing to Biden’s handling of a Chinese spy balloon incursion into U.S. territory as proof of his lack of strength. Before the President’s speech, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana stated in a press conference that the balloon had traveled from Alaska’s Aleutian Islands to the South Carolina coast, gathering intelligence on U.S. strategic sites before being shot down by the military in the Atlantic. Conference Chair Elise Stefanik of New York deemed the event a “failure” and described Biden’s reaction as “unacceptable.”
The Republican party is determined to cut spending on “woke” priorities from the defense budget in order to strengthen the U.S. military and protect against a growing Chinese threat. The GOP is looking for ways to slash “woke” spending from the defense budget while preserving needed defense spending, with Rep. Chip Roy introducing a bill in January that would defund certain positions in the DOD. The Republican party believes that cutting spending on “woke” priorities will help make the U.S. military more nimble and powerful while deterring aggression from China, which has been increasing its military buildup in recent years.
The preceding article is a summary of an article that originally appeared on The Daily Caller
