Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX) has introduced a bill this week that would eliminate “diversity” jobs at the Pentagon.
QUICK FACTS:
- Rep. Chip Roy unveiled “The Restoring Military Focus Act” this week, a bill that would eliminate the ‘Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer’ position appointed by the Secretary of Defense.
- “The Pentagon’s job is to develop our men and women in the Armed Forces into a united, lethal, and battle-ready force to defeat our enemies and defend our interests,” Rep. Roy said. “It is not supposed to be a woke social engineering experiment wrapped in a uniform.”
- The legislation would also eliminate the ‘Senior Advisor for Diversity and Inclusion’ position appointed by the Secretary of each military department, and discontinue the use of federal funds to create any similar positions at the Department of Defense.
- “We need to stop the politicization of the Department of Defense and keep our Armed Forces focused on their goal of defending our national security. The Restoring Military Focus Act is an important and necessary step to push back against the progressive agenda at the Department of Defense,” an explanation of the bill read.
- Roy’s bill has 10 co-sponsors thus far, including Republican Reps. Matt Rosendale (AZ), Cory Mills (FL), Andy Ogles (TN), Mary Miller (IL), Ralph Norman (SC), Tom McClintock (CA), Paul Gosar (AZ), Dan Crenshaw (TX), Josh Brecheen (OK), and Dan Bishop (TX).
REP. CHIP ROY’S PROPOSED LEGISLATION ELIMINATING “DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION” POSITIONS WITHIN THE MILITARY:
“Not only are these positions a waste of hard earned tax-payers dollars, but they also undermine and distract from the purpose of the U.S. military,” the bill explains.
BACKGROUND:
- In November 2022, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced a comparable bill in the Senate, saying the legislation was needed to prevent “woke nonsense.”
- “The current direction we are heading in is dangerous. If we don’t reverse course, we risk jeopardizing our military strength, national interests and security,” Sen. Rubio said at the time.
- The “diversity and inclusion” positions within the military were created in the 2021 defense policy bill.
- “Young Americans join the military to learn how to defend our country, not learn about radical ideologies,” co-sponsor Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said. “It’s no wonder our military is facing a recruiting crisis under the Biden administration.”
- In October 2022, current and former members of the U.S. military raised concern over a culture that prioritized “wokeness” over training and combat effectiveness.
- “I do perceive the Army leadership as woke, and probably the lower enlisted (they have been indoctrinated in school),” one service member said. “Equity-diversity is another way to divide and control the masses. It does nothing for the warfighter.”
