{"id":1976481,"date":"2023-07-18T17:01:01","date_gmt":"2023-07-18T21:01:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wicker-backs-gop-on-abortion-but-hopes-pentagon-funding-debates-stay-away-from-social-issues\/"},"modified":"2023-07-18T17:04:14","modified_gmt":"2023-07-18T21:04:14","slug":"wicker-backs-gop-on-abortion-but-hopes-pentagon-funding-debates-stay-away-from-social-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wicker-backs-gop-on-abortion-but-hopes-pentagon-funding-debates-stay-away-from-social-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"Wicker supports GOP on abortion, urges Pentagon funding debates to avoid social matters."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwicker-backs-gop-on-abortion-but-hopes-pentagon-funding-debates-stay-away-from-social-issues%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1976481&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Sen.\u200b Roger \u200dWicker Calls\u200c for \u2062Focus on \u2064Military \u2063Readiness in Senate\u2063 Deliberations<\/h2>\n<p>Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), \u200cthe \u2062ranking\u200b member of\u200d the Senate \u2062Armed Services \u2063Committee, is urging the upcoming Senate deliberations \u2064on the \u2064National\u200b Defense Authorization Act \u2062(NDAA) to prioritize \u2063military \u2064readiness\u200d over\u2063 social issues.<\/p>\n<p>The \u2062Senate\u2064 is\u200b set to\u2064 debate \u2064the \u200cNDAA this\u200d week, which\u2062 outlines policy\u200c for \u2063the\u200c Pentagon and \u2063authorizes \u2062$886 billion\u2064 in spending \u2062for\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-vowed-to-elect-more-women-they-did-just-that\/\" title=\"Republicans Vowed To Elect More Women...They Did Just That\">national defense<\/a> \u2064in fiscal \u20622024.\u2064 However, the version \u2062passed by \u2064the \u2063House last\u200d week included \u2063several\u200b partisan\u2064 provisions\u2064 that \u200dreceived\u2064 strong support from Republicans and \u2063near-unanimous dissent from\u200b Democrats.<\/p>\n<h3>House \u2064Republicans Push\u200b for Changes in\u2064 Defense \u200cPolicies<\/h3>\n<p>House Republicans voted \u2064to include \u2062provisions\u2062 in \u200ctheir \u2062version\u200b of\u200d the bill\u200c that\u200d would \u2062end \u2064the \u200dPentagon&#8217;s\u2063 diversity and inclusion\u2062 efforts, as \u200cwell \u2062as its current policies \u2063on\u200d abortion and\u200c trans service members. However, \u200dSenate\u2063 Democrats, \u2063who hold\u200c the majority, are unlikely to \u2064include many\u200d of\u200b these \u200bamendments.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. \u200bWicker\u200b supports the \u2063efforts \u200bto change\u200b the \u2063department&#8217;s \u2063diversity\u200d and\u2064 inclusion\u200c efforts but\u200d wants the \u200dSenate \u200bto \u2063avoid\u2063 other\u2062 social\u2064 issues.\u2062 He\u200b emphasizes \u200dthe \u2062importance of focusing\u2064 on \u200dreadiness and \u200cproviding\u200b the \u200bnecessary\u200b tools\u2063 for the \u2063military\u2062 to deter conflict.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Well, \u200dI&#8217;m \u2062very comfortable\u200b with\u2064 what the \u2064House\u2062 has\u2063 done \u2062there,&#8221; Wicker\u200c told the\u200c Washington \u200bExaminer. &#8220;You&#8217;ll\u2062 see\u200b if \u2063Chairman\u200c [Jack] \u200bReed wants \u200bto\u200d stay \u200baway from \u200bthings like \u2064that and simply \u200bleave it as\u2063 an\u200b issue\u2062 for \u200cthe\u200d conference. \u2062I\u2063 hope to\u2063 concentrate \u200don readiness \u2062and \u2064getting\u200b our \u200cbrave \u200cmen\u200d and \u2062women\u200b the\u2063 tools they need to\u200d deter conflict \u2063and\u200c stay\u200d away\u2064 from \u200dthese \u200bsocial \u2062issues.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Committee\u200b Approves \u200bNDAA Despite\u2062 Controversial \u200bAmendment<\/h3>\n<p>The \u2062Senate Armed \u2064Services Committee voted\u2063 overwhelmingly \u200dto \u2063pass\u2062 the bill\u2063 out\u200d of committee,\u200d despite \u200da narrowly\u2062 approved amendment \u2062introduced by Sen. \u200dWicker.\u200b This \u200camendment\u200d would prohibit\u2064 the\u200d military from \u200dprioritizing\u200d demographic\u200d characteristics over individual merit and\u2064 performance.<\/p>\n<p>Wicker explains, \u200b&#8221;Promote \u200cthe best. \u200bWork toward\u200c diversity. \u200bBut\u2064 let&#8217;s resist \u2063when\u200d it\u200d comes\u2064 to this idea \u200dof \u2064equal outcomes. And that&#8217;s what \u200dthey&#8217;re talking about \u200dwhen\u2062 they \u2064say \u200cequity. \u200cSo \u2062equal opportunity, \u2063emphatic\u200d yes.\u2062 Equal\u200d outcomes,\u200d that&#8217;s \u200cnot \u2063the American way and\u200b that&#8217;s\u2063 not what has made our\u2064 military strong.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>Controversy \u200bSurrounding \u2064DOD&#8217;s Abortion Policy<\/h3>\n<p>The Department of\u2063 Defense&#8217;s (DOD)\u200b abortion policy \u2063has\u200d become\u2063 a \u200chighly \u2062partisan \u200cissue in relation\u2062 to\u200d the \u200dNDAA. Following\u2064 the Supreme Court&#8217;s \u200breversal \u2063of \u2063Roe v.\u2062 Wade\u2063 and the enactment of \u200crestrictive abortion \u200dlaws, the\u200c Pentagon announced an\u2064 updated policy\u200b that\u2064 includes reimbursing \u200btravel expenses \u2063for\u2062 service members or \u200ddependents \u2064who \u200cneed to travel \u2062out of \u2062state \u2063for\u200c an abortion due \u200dto local \u2063laws.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. \u200cTommy\u2062 Tuberville (R-AL)\u200c has held\u2062 up \u2062military\u200c nominations \u2063for\u200b approximately \u200csix\u200c months due\u2063 to this policy,\u2064 arguing\u2062 that\u2063 it\u200c violates\u200b the \u200cfederal\u2063 prohibition on \u200dtaxpayer funding of\u2064 abortion.\u2063 Tuberville&#8217;s \u200chold\u2063 has\u2063 blocked around 260 nominations, including senior \u200bdefense\u2064 leaders. If the \u200chold continues through\u200b the \u200drest of the\u200c year, \u200dthat\u2062 number\u2063 could\u200d exceed \u200c650.<\/p>\n<p>While\u2062 Wicker \u2064does \u200cnot support \u2063the Pentagon&#8217;s \u2064abortion \u200cpolicy,\u200c he \u200dacknowledges \u2062the \u200bneed\u200d to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wicker-backs-gop-on-abortion-but-hopes-pentagon-funding-debates-stay-away-from-social-issues\/\" title=\"Wicker supports GOP on abortion, urges Pentagon funding debates to avoid social matters.\">fill top\u2064 general \u2062positions<\/a>. \u2064He\u200b states,\u2063 &#8220;We need \u2062to get\u2063 our top generals placed. We are \u2064exploring \u2064a \u200dnumber of \u200dways to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/china-committed-serious-human-rights-violations-in-uyghur-concentration-camps-un-report\/\" title=\"China Committed \u2018Serious Human Rights Violations\u2019 In Uyghur Concentration Camps: UN Report\">make concrete steps<\/a> in\u200d that\u200d direction.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Senators \u200care scheduled to\u200d receive a\u2063 briefing on \u2064the \u2063policy on Wednesday, and Tuberville \u2062and\u2062 Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin \u2062are \u2062expected to continue\u2063 their discussions this \u2063week.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\">Click\u200b here<\/a>\u2063 to read more from the \u2063Washington Examiner.<\/p>\n<p>The position\u200c of \u200bcommandant \u200bin \u2062the\u2064 Marine Corps \u2064is \u200dcurrently held\u2063 by\u2062 Gen. \u2063Eric \u200bSmith\u200d in an \u2063acting capacity. \u200bSmith\u2063 has\u2062 not \u200bbeen\u200c confirmed\u200d to\u2062 the top position \u200ddue \u200cto\u2064 Tuberville&#8217;s hold. Several \u2062other \u200ddepartures from\u2064 the \u2063Joint Chiefs\u200d of Staff \u200care \u2062expected \u200din the \u200bnext\u2062 three \u200cmonths, and it remains\u200c uncertain whether\u2064 Tuberville&#8217;s \u200chold will\u2063 still \u2063be in place.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I \u2064have \u2064been \u200ctold by\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/south-africa-president-country-returning-to-calm\/\" title=\"South Africa President: Country returning to calm\">senior military officers<\/a>,\u200b the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/126-ex-generals-admirals-warn-about-biden-u-s-in-deep-peril-health-a-concern-7-red-flags-emerging\/\" title=\"BREAKING: 126 Ex-Generals And Admirals Say Biden Is Mentally Unfit For President\">top military officers<\/a>,\u200b that it \u2062does constitute \u200ca real problem in \u2062getting \u200bthe job\u200d done,&#8221; \u2064Wicker \u200cadded. &#8220;Marine\u200b generals \u200dwith \u2063four stars\u2062 on\u2064 their \u200cshoulders\u200c that told me straightforward &#8230; that\u200d it is [a] problem\u2063 they&#8217;re having to get around. It&#8217;s something \u200cI\u2063 hope we can resolve.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), ranking member of Senate Armed Services Committee, urges Senate to prioritize military readiness over social matters during upcoming deliberations on National Defense Authorization Act. The NDAA, expected to be debated this week, sets Pentagon policy and authorizes $886 billion for national spending.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1976482,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1976481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1976481","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1976481"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1976481\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1976482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1976481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1976481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1976481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}