June 25, 2021- 5:24 p.m.
The conservative crusade against critical race theory has entered the national security arena — with Republican lawmakers accusing the Pentagon of embracing the ideology and locking horns with military brass — and is likely to weigh on deliberations on defense policy legislation this summer.
“I think you can expect that, in the NDAA markup, for this conversation to be a part of it,” said Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), an Armed Services member who chairs the conservative Republican Study Committee.
“I don’t know what that’s going to look like yet, but … this is a concern I’ve heard expressed by almost every Republican colleague on the committee and off the committee,” Banks added.
GOP lawmakers and right-wing personalities have assailed Pentagon leadership for its efforts to combat extremism and racism in the ranks, arguing it has made the military “woke.” The mounting culture wars could be one of the more hotly debated issues when the House Armed Services Committee considers its version of the National Defense Authorization Act, a must-pass bill that will likely need at least some Republican support to pass.
“I think you can expect that, in the NDAA markup, for this conversation to be a part of it,” said Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), an Armed Services member who chairs the conservative Republican Study Committee.
“I don’t know what that’s going to look like yet, but … this is a concern I’ve heard expressed by almost every Republican colleague on the committee and off the committee,” Banks added.
Republicans have been needling Pentagon leadership for months, arguing the department’s efforts at increasing diversity and rooting out extremism are silencing conservatives and undermining the military’s core mission.
The issue came to a head this week as Republican Reps. Matt Gaetz and Michael Waltz tangled with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley over critical race theory at an Armed Services Committee hearing. Milley’s fiery response — where the four star general shot back that assertions that the military is too “woke” are “offensive” — went viral, but saw more criticism from conservative pundits.
Key Republicans are telegraphing that critical race theory and other wedge issues will be on the agenda when the committee takes up the defense policy bill in September, and that they expect issues dealing with military personnel to provide some of the clearest red lines for whether the GOP will back the bill.
“This is going to be a significant area of debate in the markup that we’re going to have on Sept. 1, because there is a frustration about wokeness and indoctrination in the military that’s not their role,” Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee told reports.
Rogers declared last month that he wants to see the defense bill address what he considers political bias against conservatives in the ranks. He hasn’t said what such a proposal will entail, but called on Republicans and “free-speech minded Democrats” to join him in the effort.
Waltz warned earlier this month he may push to include legislation he’s cosponsored to prohibit the military service academies from promoting critical race theory. This issue may come up during debate on the defense bill.
Democrats’ thin House majority means GOP support will be needed to pass the NDAA later this year, but Republicans still must decide which issues to emphasize in the defense debate.
So far, top Republicans are expending most of their political capital elsewhere, namely by trying to boost the defense budget above the essentially flat $715 billion Pentagon proposal President Joe Biden offered last month.
“The unfortunate thing is that there is a real problem in this country with systemic racism, with white supremacy and with extremist groups,” Smith added. “This is a legitimate issue that needs to be addressed, and what the Republicans want to say is it’s all about critical race theory. It’s not.”
