Will U.S. Navy Soldiers Be Forced to Eat Plant-based Proteins?

A battle is shaping up in Congress that will determine whether some Navy Sailors are served up plant-based “steaks” and “hamburgers” when stationed overseas.

The annual defense policy bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) will be considered on the House floor next week. Tucked in that huge bill is a pilot program that will require the Navy to offer “plant-based protein options at forward operating bases for consumption by members of the Navy.”

The language, found in Section 222 of the bill, says the Navy must pick two forward operating bases where “livestock-based protein options may be costly to obtain or store.” It suggests bases in Guam and Japan as examples.

The pilot program would last three years, and the Navy would have to file a report to Congress later on how many Navy Sailors choose plant-based proteins, whether the program was cost-effective, and ideas to “increase plant-based protein options” at other naval facilities.

There’s a chance the language may not survive in the House. The bill will first be considered by the House Rules Committee, which will determine which amendments to the legislation might be considered on the House floor.

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) offered an amendment to strike Section 222, which means lawmakers will have a chance to kill the plant-based protein idea if the Rules Committee allows a vote.

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