Republicans scored wins and losses in the final version of Congress’s must-pass National Defense Authorization Act.
The House and Senate Armed Services committees released their final draft on Thursday of the NDAA, which sets the Pentagon’s spending priorities for the fiscal year. The 3,000-page bill, which has an $886 billion price tag, is expected to pass both chambers with strong bipartisan majorities, thanks in part to an inclusive and robust amendment process.
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The conference committee, where legislation is sent to sort out differences, declined to include provisions from House Republicans halting the Pentagon’s controversial abortion policy and blocking the Department of Defense from funding drag shows or access to gender-transitioning health services for service members and their dependents.
It did, however, include two amendments from Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) going after the Pentagon’s use of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
The first places a personnel grade cap of GS-10 on any position whose primary duties are DEI related. Currently, DEI positions can be ranked as high as senior executive service level, where the maximum salary is $212,000. The salary range for GS-10 in the next fiscal year is $71,531 to $90,610.
The second places a department-wide hiring freeze for all DEI positions while the Government Accountability Office conducts an audit of DOD’s DEI workforce and its planned expansion over the next five years. It also prohibits the Pentagon from creating any new DEI administrator roles or filling any vacant DEI positions until the GAO audit is complete.
“DEI has no place in our military, which has long been the world’s greatest meritocracy,” Schmitt said in a statement to the Washington Examiner on the amendments. “Every branch of our military has a duty to promote and exemplify cohesiveness within a unit, branch, and fighting force as a whole.
“Driving wedges between soldiers with DEI initiatives undermines the military’s main purpose: ensuring the United States remain ready to confront adversaries with overwhelming force wherever they may arise,” he continued.
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“I will continue to fight against the politicization of traditionally non-partisan American institutions like the military and am encouraged my two amendments aimed to halt Joe Biden’s DEI agenda have made it into the National Defense Authorization Act,” he said.
The Senate passed a motion to proceed on the bill on Thursday, and four members tell the Washington Examiner they expect a floor vote to pass it next Wednesday or Thursday. It will then be sent to the House for passage before heading to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature.
