House conservatives draw red lines on must-pass defense spending bill

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House conservatives have drawn red lines on the annual defense spending bill, called the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), demanding that congressional leaders permit rank-and-file lawmakers to amend the legislation to remove "woke" military policies. 

In a letter sent to the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Armed Services committees on Tuesday, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and other conservative Republicans said negotiations over the must-pass defense bill must include "key reforms" on abortion policy, the Selective Service, COVID-19 vaccine mandates and President Biden's "radical social agenda." 

"We must prioritize the promotion of a lethal military and ready force to defend our nation’s interests around the globe," the conservatives wrote. "Under no circumstances should the upcoming NDAA be brought to the floor of either chamber without several key reforms needed to ensure a focused military." 

The letter was also signed by Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Bob Good, R-Va., and Barry Moore, R-Ala. The GOP congressmen outlined four policy issues they say must be addressed before the NDAA advances out of committee and moves to a full vote in the House. 

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Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, speaks with reporters as he arrives to a House Republican Caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol Building on Nov. 14, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

First, they want to prohibit taxpayer dollars from funding the Biden administration's "Ensuring Access to Reproductive Health Care" program, which they write will "establish an abortion travel fund for service members and their families." They are also demanding that Congress refrain from amending the Military Selective Service Act to sign up women for the draft. 

"Requiring women to register for the draft does not advance our national security objectives, which is the only metric by which the NDAA should be measured," the lawmakers wrote.  

TRANSGENDER WOMEN MUST SIGN UP FOR MILITARY DRAFT UNDER BIDEN ADMIN, TRANS MEN GET A PASS

The crew of a U.S. Air Force McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extender aerial refueling tanker, part of the 305th Air Mobility Wing, go over a mission briefing as they prepare to depart Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey on Oct. 26, 2022. (JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

Thirdly, they want the Department of Defense's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for service members repealed, noting that even Biden has declared, "the pandemic is over."

 "The COVID-19 vaccine does not prevent transmission or infection of the virus. The DoD forcing out tens-of-thousands of service members will continue to undermine our military readiness and hamper future recruiting efforts for years to come," the letter states. "Our brave men and women in uniform should not have to choose between following their sincerely held religious beliefs and serving their country."

Finally, the conservatives instructed that Congress should not "authorize a single dollar for green climate projects nor radical diversity, equity, and inclusion indoctrination measures." They asserted these "woke" provisions are "divisive" and will "undermine" military effectiveness. 

These concerns echo those made by Senate conservatives like Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who recently told Fox News Digital that Democrats were playing politics with the defense bill. 

"The defense bill isn’t the place for Democrats to indulge the wild ideas of their latest social experiments, like forcing women to register for the draft," Cotton told Fox News Digital. "If Democrats want to protect America and keep our troops safe, they should agree to pass a clean bill and leave their woke pet projects out of it."

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"The defense bill isn’t the place for Democrats to indulge the wild ideas of their latest social experiments, like forcing women to register for the draft," Sen. Tom Cotton told Fox News Digital. "If Democrats want to protect America and keep our troops safe, they should agree to pass a clean bill and leave their woke pet projects out of it." (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The conservative Heritage Foundation released a report over the summer, urging Congress to remove provisions in the NDAA that would "foster corporate wokeness." The House bill, which passed in July and now is being negotiated in the Senate, contains a provision that would require public companies to annually disclose "the racial, ethnic, gender identity, sexual orientation, and veteran status of their board directors, nominees, and senior executive officers," according to the report. In addition, the provision would create a group that would focus on "increasing corporate diversity."

Democrats will remain in control of the House of Representatives for the remainder of the year in what is known as the "lame duck" session of Congress before Republicans take over in January. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has called for delaying a vote on the NDAA until 2023 because of GOP objections to "woke" policies. 

"I've watched what the Democrats have done, especially in the NDAA, the ‘wokeism’ they want to bring in there," McCarthy said during a pre-Thanksgiving press conference. "I actually believe the NDAA should be held up until the first of the year, and let's get it right."

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Read the letter:

Fox News' Kelly Laco contributed to this report.