Republican-Led House Would Probe Biden's Woke Military (Dreamstime)
By Charlie McCarthy | Wednesday, 05 October 2022 09:03 AM EDT
A Republican-controlled Congress would investigate the Biden administration's wokeness in the military, conservative House members said.
Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said the administration's woke defense policies will be a focus if the GOP regains control of the House in the midterms.
"I think it's one of our very top priorities to clean up the mess the administration has made with the excessive and dangerous COVID mandates on our troops at a time where we have historically low recruitment," said Banks, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, Military.com reported.
Banks was asked whether the GOP would block diversity and equity initiatives, such as critical race theory.
"Those are issues that we've been very passionate about in the minority, and I guarantee we'll be just as passionate about them when we get the majority," Banks told Military.com.
House Armed Services Committee ranking member Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., in line to be chairman of the committee if Republicans regain the majority, told the website: "All this wokeness in the military, we are going to be aggressively trying to root that stuff out."
Republican efforts to roll back a vaccine mandate or other administration initiatives probably would be futile because President Joe Biden likely wouldn't sign GOP-sponsored bills.
Also, Democrats could maintain control of the Senate – something that could prevent such bills from even reaching Biden's desk.
However, Republicans controlling the House could result in messaging bills, as well as hearings and investigations concerning vaccine mandate, diversity initiatives, and anti-extremism efforts, Military.com reported.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., announced the party's "Commitment to America" agenda last month, though it was vague on the party's plans for defense policies.
Regarding defense, the GOP plan promises to:
- Support our troops.
- Invest in an efficient, effective military.
- Establish a Select Committee on China.
- Exercise peace through strength with our allies to counter increasing global threats.
"When it comes to the posture hearings and the legislative process of the NDAA [National Defense Authorization Act], I think you can expect more of the same from what you've seen the last couple of years," said Banks, an Armed Services Committee member, Military.com reported.
NBC News reported last month that lawmakers who are allies of former President Donald Trump plan to question the Joint Chiefs of Staff chair, Gen. Mark Milley, if Republicans regain control of Congress.
Milley, a critic of the former president, would face grilling about several issues, including the chaotic U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, the military becoming too "woke," and military readiness, sources told NBC News.