The House Freedom Caucus has declared that they will not support a temporary spending bill unless it includes language on border security, new laws to address the “weaponization” of the Justice Department and FBI, and a shift in some of the Pentagon’s policies. This announcement has increased the chances of a government shutdown, as the provisions they are demanding are likely to be opposed by Senate Democrats and the White House. The Freedom Caucus has been a powerful force in the House since 2015, and their latest statement makes it clear that they will not support any bill that does not include their demands.
Posts tagged as “Pentagon”
Donald Trump made an appearance in Alabama on Friday, delivering a speech full of defiance and insults to prosecutors. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who hosted the event, has put a months-long hold on military promotions, leaving the Army and other branches without over 300 promotions. Trump mentioned his current legal troubles during his speech, and despite the implications of Tuberville's maneuver, Republican voters seemed more focused on party loyalty. It remains to be seen how the military promotions and Trump's legal troubles will affect his 2024 presidential campaign.
At a House Oversight Subcommittee hearing on Wednesday, witnesses and lawmakers discussed the issue of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs or UFOs). Former U.S. intelligence official David Grusch claimed that the government has a long-standing program to retrieve UAPs, while former Navy Commander David Fravor and former Navy pilot Ryan Graves reported their own experiences with UAPs. Lawmakers called for more information from the federal government and urged them to address the stigma surrounding UFO reporting.
President Joe Biden has nominated Adm. Lisa Franchetti to lead the Navy, making her the first woman to be a Pentagon service chief and the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Adm. Franchetti has extensive command and executive experience, and her selection is being met with criticism from Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) who is holding more than 250 military promotions in protest of the Defense Department's abortion policy. If confirmed, Adm. Franchetti will be the first woman to lead the Navy in its 244-year history.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee has scheduled a hearing on UFOs, or unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs), for next Wednesday. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) announced the hearing at a news conference Thursday, and the committee will hear testimony from three witnesses, including a former U.S. intelligence official and two former Navy servicemen who have claimed to have spotted UAPs. The hearing is the second on the topic held by the House Intelligence Committee, and it is unclear what new information the committee may uncover.
Senator Tommy Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama, is blocking hundreds of military promotions over a Pentagon abortion policy, causing a potential national security crisis. President Joe Biden and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan have denounced the move, and Senator Tammy Duckworth has warned it will jeopardize the U.S.' ability to lead the free world. Sullivan has warned that the blockade could soon leave the U.S. without a chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or a chief of Naval Operations.
Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) proposed an amendment to the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act, which was adopted in a 214-210 vote. The amendment aims to prohibit the Defense Department from considering race, gender, religion, political affiliations or “any other” when making decisions. During the floor debate, Crane referred to Black people as “colored people”, sparking a debate over the use of language when discussing race and ethnicity. Crane has since apologized for his remarks and the bill is expected to pass the House this week.
The House of Representatives is set to vote Friday on the annual defense policy bill, which has been a bipartisan effort for more than six decades. However, the bill is now facing an uncertain future due to Republican amendments that would cut funding for abortion- and gender transition-related services, causing sharp opposition from congressional Democrats. The Pentagon had previously announced that it would provide travel allowances for troops to access “non-covered reproductive health care”, but the NDAA amendments would reverse this decision. It remains to be seen if the bill will pass with the amendments intact, or if the two parties can come to an agreement on a compromise.