The House is expected to take up the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act this week, following the passage of the $886 billion bill by the Armed Services Committee in a 58-1 vote in June.
The annual defense policy bill includes a 5.2% increase in pay for the military, which is in line with President Biden’s 2024 budget request, as well as provisions that provide more generous housing allowances and quality-of-life improvements for service members. More controversially, the bill would also provide protections for service members who refuse to take Covid-19 vaccines, block funding for drag shows on military bases, and roll back Pentagon programs aimed at fostering diversity, equity and inclusion — efforts that many Republicans reject as politically correct “wokeness.”
The White House released a policy statement Monday that makes its position clear on dozens of provisions in the bill, including its opposition to eliminating diversity training programs.
Rep. Ro Khanna, the California Democrat who provided the lone no vote in committee, said he was protesting the amount of potential waste in the bill. “We’re on track to a $1 trillion defense budget and over half of this spending goes to defense contractors who have a history of price gouging,” Khanna told The Washington Examiner. “If Republicans want to reduce our nation’s debt, they should join me in reducing wasteful spending on defense contractors at the Pentagon.”
More controversy ahead: While the bill received broad bipartisan support in committee, some Democrats are expressing concerns about the more than 1,500 amendments that have been offered for consideration, many from conservatives intent on fighting culture war battles through the legislation. The amendments include even stronger restrictions on diversity programs, limits on the role of climate change in military decision-making and a rollback of military aid to Ukraine, among many other things.
Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, voted to advance the bill but told The Washington Post that he wants to see the details of the final legislation before he decides whether to support it. “I am worried about the extreme right-wing amendments that have been filed, specifically those related to abortion, guns, the border, and social policy and equity issues,” he said. “We’ll just have to wait and see what amendments are made in order when the bill is debated on the House floor.”
The Rules Committee will sift through the amendments on Tuesday, and only a fraction of the total is expected to make it to the House floor for a vote.
The bottom line: The must-pass defense policy bill is shaping up as a test for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as he faces pressure from his right to expand the bill to include amendments offered by hardliners in his own party. If he does so, he could end up losing support from the Democrats he will likely need to pass the legislation. But if he pushes back against the hardliners, he risks sparking a revolt within his slim majority in the House.
“There’s no question we can win if it goes to a vote” in its current form, Smith told Politico last week. “It’s a question of how Kevin McCarthy wants to handle it.”