{"id":2048091,"date":"2023-09-28T14:10:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-28T18:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/18-house-republicans-help-democrats-kill-amendment-defunding-pentagon-pride-month-parties\/"},"modified":"2023-09-28T14:12:33","modified_gmt":"2023-09-28T18:12:33","slug":"18-house-republicans-help-democrats-kill-amendment-defunding-pentagon-pride-month-parties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/18-house-republicans-help-democrats-kill-amendment-defunding-pentagon-pride-month-parties\/","title":{"rendered":"18 House Republicans joined forces with Democrats to defeat an amendment that aimed to defund Pentagon &#8216;Pride Month&#8217; celebrations."},"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\">38<\/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%2F18-house-republicans-help-democrats-kill-amendment-defunding-pentagon-pride-month-parties%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=2048091&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>House Republicans Join Democrats in Killing Amendment to Defund\u200b Pentagon-Sponsored &#8220;Pride Month&#8221;\u2063 Events<\/h2>\n<p>Nearly\u2063 20 House Republicans joined their Democrat colleagues\u200b on Wednesday in killing a bill amendment that sought to prevent U.S. taxpayer dollars from funding Pentagon-sponsored &#8220;pride month&#8221; events.<\/p>\n<p>Introduced by \u200bRep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, the measure aimed \u2064to &#8220;prohibit funds appropriated&#8221; by the House&#8217;s defense bill for fiscal year 2024 &#8220;from being used to carry out the observance of\u2062 Pride Month authorized by the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness for the Cultural Observances and Awareness Events List.&#8221; Despite the GOP possessing a majority in the lower chamber, 18 Republicans, including House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., sided with Democrats in voting against the amendment (231-202).<\/p>\n<p>While the Pentagon&#8217;s commemoration of &#8220;pride month&#8221; dates back to the \u2062Obama administration, the agency tasked with defending the\u200d U.S. homeland has\u2062 made \u2064so-called &#8220;LGBT issues&#8221; a primary focus under\u200c President Joe Biden, along with facilitating abortions\u2062 for female\u200d service members. Shortly after taking office, for instance, Biden signed a series \u2063of\u2063 executive orders mandating federal departments adopt \u2062neo-Marxist\u200d policies\u200b such as DEI\u200b throughout their respective workforces.<\/p>\n<p>For context, &#8220;diversity, equity, and inclusion,&#8221; or DEI, is a divisive and poisonous\u2064 ideology that dismisses merit and instead discriminates based on characteristics such as skin color and\u200c sexual\u200d orientation. Individuals who qualify for a certain position due to their merits but don&#8217;t meet the discriminating entity&#8217;s goal of being\u2063 more &#8220;diverse&#8221; are passed\u200d over in favor of those who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/18-house-republicans-help-democrats-kill-amendment-defunding-pentagon-pride-month-parties\/\" title=\"18 House Republicans joined forces with Democrats to defeat an amendment that aimed to defund Pentagon 'Pride Month' celebrations.\">meet institutionally preferred identitarian\u200d standards<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In 2023 alone, the military \u2063under Biden&#8217;s\u2063 command has been caught\u2062 employing an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republican-pressure-prompts-pentagon-to-nix-air-force-drag-performance\/\" title=\"GOP Pressure Forces Pentagon to Cancel Air Force Drag Show.\">enlisted drag queen<\/a> to \u2062recruit new sailors into the Navy, using U.S. taxpayer money \u200bto fly Air Force members to military &#8220;pride&#8221; events, and scheduling drag \u200cshows at military bases. Ahead of this year&#8217;s &#8220;pride month,&#8221; branches such as the Air Force authorized their bases to host celebrations\u2064 commemorating this leftist-manufactured &#8220;holiday.&#8221; \u2062As The Federalist previously reported, several of these installations continued their plans to host the controversial events\u2062 even after congressional backlash.<\/p>\n[[<strong>RELATED: <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/07\/05\/heres-how-americas-rainbow-military-commemorated-this-4th-of-july-weekend\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Here&#8217;s How America&#8217;s &#8216;Rainbow&#8217; Military Commemorated This 4th Of July Weekend<\/a><\/strong>]\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m sure the Chinese military is quaking in its boots with the rainbow-tipped bullets being tweeted\u2062 around the world,&#8221; Roy quipped in a House\u200d floor speech. &#8220;I have very few constituents \u2064who disagree with this \u2063sentiment: that we should be focused on having a military that is designed to, when called upon, to blow stuff up and kill people in defense of this country as \u200dneeded, and to be the best fighting force to accomplish that objective in the world.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In addition to pushing DEI on \u2062the military&#8217;s rank-and-file members, Biden has promoted numerous officials parroting these same ideologies to \u2063some of the highest positions\u2064 within the service. Among these officials is Gen. \u200cCharles Q. Brown, Biden&#8217;s recently confirmed Joint Chiefs of\u2064 Staff\u2064 chair, who has previously espoused support for DEI and other \u2062racialist sentiments.<\/p>\n<p>While participating in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-pick-for-joint-chiefs-chair-made-diversity-and-inclusion-focal-points-in-air-force-personnel-decisions\/\" title=\"Biden's Joint Chiefs Chair nominee prioritized diversity and inclusion in Air Force personnel choices.\">virtual discussion hosted<\/a> by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in November 2020, for example, Brown indicated that &#8220;[a]t the higher level of the Air Force, diversity ha[d] moved to the forefront of personnel decisions such as promotions and\u200d hiring.&#8221; During the same event, the Air Force general also admitted to using his post to increase opportunities for so-called &#8220;diverse candidates&#8221; in \u200dthe Air Force, saying he &#8220;hire[d] for diversity&#8221; when building\u200b his staff.<\/p>\n<p>To read about other DEI-pushing \u200cBiden military nominees, see <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/07\/25\/bidens-space-force-nominee-previously-canned-service-member-for-speaking-out-against-marxism-in-the-military\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/08\/18\/biden-air-force-nominee-claimed-white-colonels-are-the-biggest-barriers-to-change-in-the-military\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/09\/13\/bidens-air-force-nominee-believes-its-naive-for-service-members-to-doubt-the-militarys-institutional-racism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/09\/14\/meet-the-covid-obsessed-biden-nominee-who-thinks-you-should-suffer-for-not-getting-an-experimental-shot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth,\u2064 and\u200c Conservative Review.\u200b Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u200dWhat is the justification\u2064 for prioritizing \u2062diversity and inclusion \u2062over merit in the military&#8217;s agenda, as seen through the creation \u2062of a diversity\u200c and inclusion \u2063office within the Department\u200d of Defense?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u200b Justify his agenda. \u2062For example, \u200dSecretary of \u200dDefense Lloyd Austin has prioritized diversity and inclusion within the military, pushing \u2063for policies\u2064 that prioritize identity\u2064 over merit. This includes \u2062the creation of a diversity and \u200binclusion office within \u200bthe\u2064 Department of Defense.<\/p>\n<p>The decision by House \u200bRepublicans to join Democrats in killing Rep. Chip Roy&#8217;s amendment to\u200c defund Pentagon-sponsored &#8220;pride month&#8221; events is disappointing and \u2064concerning. It shows a lack of commitment to\u2064 prioritizing national defense and\u200d a willingness to bow \u2062to the demands of identity politics.<\/p>\n<p>It is important to note that this issue is not about LGBTQ+ rights or equality. It is\u200d about the inappropriate use of taxpayer\u2062 funds to promote a specific political agenda within the military. The Pentagon&#8217;s focus on &#8220;LGBTQ+ \u200dissues&#8221; and \u2062the celebration of &#8220;pride\u200d month&#8221; is a questionable\u200c use\u200b of resources that should be \u200callocated\u2063 to strengthening our national security.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the promotion of DEI ideologies within the military is concerning for several reasons. Firstly, it undermines the principle of meritocracy and\u2064 diminishes\u200d the\u200d importance \u2062of \u2064qualifications and capabilities in favor of arbitrary characteristics. \u200bThis not only weakens\u200d the \u200cmilitary&#8217;s effectiveness but \u200dalso undermines\u2064 morale and creates divisions among service members.<\/p>\n<p>Secondly, DEI policies perpetuate\u200d a culture of victimhood and \u2064identity politics\u2062 within the \u200bmilitary. Rather than promoting unity and cohesion, these policies encourage division and\u200d the \u2064prioritization \u200cof individual \u2062identities over the collective\u200d mission of defending \u2064the nation.<\/p>\n<p>Lastly, the push for DEI policies within the military\u200b is driven by\u2063 a radical ideological agenda that seeks to transform institutions and reshape societal norms. By imposing\u200b neo-Marxist\u200d ideologies\u200b onto the military, the \u200bBiden administration is advancing a divisive and destructive agenda that \u200cundermines the very fabric of our\u2063 armed forces.<\/p>\n<p>It is crucial that lawmakers \u2063prioritize the national security interests of the United States over political posturing and identity\u2064 politics. The military&#8217;s purpose is to protect our \u200ccountry from threats and ensure the safety and security of \u200cits citizens. It is\u200c not a platform for social experimentation or\u200d the promotion \u200dof \u2063divisive political ideologies.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2062 decision by House Republicans to join Democrats \u200din\u200b killing the \u200damendment \u2064to defund Pentagon-sponsored &#8220;pride\u200d month&#8221;\u200c events is a missed opportunity to stand up for fiscal responsibility,\u200c national defense, and the \u2064principles that \u200dshould guide our \u200carmed forces.<\/p>\n<p>As taxpayers, we have the right to expect that our hard-earned money is used wisely and responsibly. Funding events \u200dthat promote a specific political agenda undermines\u2063 that expectation\u2063 and \u200derodes trust \u2063in our government.<\/p>\n<p>Moving forward, it is crucial for lawmakers to reevaluate\u200b their priorities and refocus on the core mission of the military. Our armed forces should be dedicated to\u200b defending \u2062our country, not advancing political agendas. It is time \u200dto put national security first and\u2062 ensure that taxpayer funds\u2064 are used \u2063in a manner that strengthens our military and protects our\u200b nation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Out of nearly 20 House Republicans, some joined Democrats to defeat an amendment by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas. The amendment aimed to stop taxpayer money from funding Pentagon-backed &#8220;pride month&#8221; events. It sought to prevent funds allocated in the defense bill for fiscal year 2024 from being utilized for such purposes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":539,"featured_media":2048092,"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":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2048091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"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\/2048091","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\/539"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2048091"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2048091\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2048092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2048091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2048091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2048091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}