Democrats voted against the package, which had won near unanimous approval from the Armed Services Committee a few weeks ago but was stuffed with Republican priorities during a heated debate the night before Friday’s session.
The final vote was 219-210, with four Democrats voting in favor and four Republicans against. The Democratic majority in the Senate is expected to vote against the bill.
Attempts to stop funding for Ukraine in the war against Russia were rejected, but Republicans added clauses to curb Pentagon diversity initiatives and limit access to abortion. The promoter of the abortion issue is Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville, who has stalled the confirmation of promotions and the new commander of the Marines in the Senate.
“We continue to block the Biden government’s ‘woke’ (progressive) agenda,” said Republican Congresswoman for Colorado Lauren Boebert before Friday’s vote.
Turning the must-have military budget into a partisan battleground reflects the extent to which the military, once a sacrosanct institution, has been drawn into disputes over race, equity, and women’s health that are now priorities for the government. Republican Party.
During a particularly tense moment in the debate, Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, the former chair of the Black House Caucus, spoke about how hard it is to get deals done as Republicans lash out at gains for women, blacks and others in the military.
“You guys set us back,” he said in a debate over an amendment proposed by Republican Eli Crane, a representative from Arizona, that seeks to bar the Department of Defense from making participation in courses on race mandatory for hiring, promoting or retaining personnel.
FOUNTAIN: Associated Press
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