WASHINGTON, DC (July 14, 2023) — Today, Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04), released the following statement after voting against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024.
“The federal government has an obligation to support our service members who sacrifice so much for our country. But once again, House Republicans are putting their interests and extreme political agenda ahead of the millions in our military who are sworn to protect us,” said Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04). “This bill attacks diversity, limits equity and inclusion, undermines essential climate measures, and restricts our armed service members from making their own reproductive and health care decisions. This was a difficult decision, but I could not in good conscious support a bill that goes against the very thing our service members are fighting to defend every day: freedom.”
Today, the annual defense policy bill that typically receives wide bipartisan support, narrowly passed in the U.S. House of Representatives approximately along party lines. The following amendments were adopted for inclusion in the FY24 NDAA:
- Jackson #377: Prohibits the Secretary of Defense from paying for or reimbursing expenses relating to abortion services.
- Rosendale #194: Prohibits TRICARE from covering and the Department of Defense from furnishing sex reassignment surgeries and gender hormone treatments for transgender individuals.
- Norman #30: Prohibits provision of gender transition procedures, including surgery or medication, through the Exceptional Family Member Program.
- Roy #310: Prohibits federal funds from being used to establish a position within the Department of Defense for anything similar to Chief Diversity Officers or Senior Advisors for Diversity and Inclusion.
- Crane #1000: Prohibits the Department of Defense from making participation in training or support for certain race-based concepts a requirement for hiring, promotion, or retention of individuals.
- Norman #1465: Eliminates any offices of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion along with the personnel in said offices within the offices of the Armed Forces and Department of Defense.
- Boebert #1386: Prohibits Department of Defense Education Activity schools from purchasing and having radical gender ideology books in their libraries.
- Roy #1556: Prohibits Department of Defense from carrying out Biden’s climate change executive orders.
A full list of the amendments adopted in the FY24 NDAA is available here, and the full bill text can be found here.