SC Republican congressman wants to strip diversity offices, employees from US military
South Carolina U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman successfully added two amendments related to the ongoing culture wars in the annual federal defense spending authorization bill.
The U.S. House agreed to the Rock Hill Republican’s proposal to ban diversity, equity and inclusion offices in the armed forces and to ban gender transition procedures within a program for military families with special needs.
Both amendments were passed during the House debate on the annual defense bill. The Republican-controlled U.S. House passed the overall bill Friday in a mostly party-line vote.
However the Democratic-controlled Senate is expected to pass its own annual defense authorization bill, which would force the two chambers to go to a conference committee to work out differences.
Norman’s amendment to eliminate DEI offices in the armed forces and the Defense Department was passed with only Republican support.
“The military’s sole focus is to protect the American people and our freedoms, NOT leftists’ feelings,” tweeted Norman, a member of the U.S. House Freedom Caucus, a group of the most conservative members in Congress.
“When it comes to the Department of Defense and our military, there is no room for wokeness,” Norman said in a separate tweet.
Norman’s amendment to ban transgender transition procedures in the exceptional family member program received support from one Democratic member in the House, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas.
The program provides funding for care for military spouses and children and other dependents who have ongoing medical needs such as treating asthma and other respiratory illnesses or have learning disabilities such as ADHD or autism.
The military has used the program to help families relocate to states that are more transgender friendly or make referrals to physicians and therapists.
“The Exceptional Family Member Program should be fully used to support families with special needs and chronic illnesses, NOT for gender transition procedures, including surgery and/or medication,” Norman tweeted.
This story was originally published July 14, 2023 at 12:17 PM.
