House Republicans have reached an agreement to allow votes on controversial amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This agreement resolves a battle within the party but may also make it more difficult for the must-pass bill to be passed.
These amendments include proposals on Ukraine funding, the Pentagon’s abortion policy, and other social issues pushed by the party’s right flank.
Members of the hardline conservative House Freedom Caucus and their allies have been pushing for votes on these hot-button culture war issues. However, if some of these amendments are approved, they could complicate House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) task of securing final passage of the annual $886 billion defense bill, as they may be poison pills for Democrats.
The House Rules Committee convened just after midnight on Thursday to complete consideration of the NDAA. This makes it possible for the House to complete consideration of the defense bill this week, contrary to expectations that the amendments battle would stretch into next week.
The panel approved a procedural rule that allows for 80 amendments to be considered. This is in addition to the nearly 300 non-controversial amendments that were approved for floor consideration on Wednesday. The committee split up the procedural rule into multiple parts as the House GOP negotiated the more controversial amendments.
Among the measures approved for consideration are an amendment to reverse the Pentagon’s policy on reimbursing expenses for service members who travel to obtain an abortion. This policy has caused Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) to block the Senate from approving military promotions.
Other measures approved for floor votes include an amendment by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to strike $300 million of funding for Ukraine, a prohibition on the Department of Defense providing gender-affirming surgeries and hormones, amendments gutting diversity and inclusion programs, a ban on mask mandates on military installations to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and an amendment prohibiting the Department of Defense from carrying out climate change-related executive actions from President Biden.
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), the ranking member on the House Rules Committee, warned that these amendments could jeopardize the NDAA’s passage in the House because they will turn off Democrats.
McGovern also expressed disappointment with the revision of a measure to ban the transfer of cluster munitions, which now only prevents cluster munitions from being transferred to Ukraine.
In response to McGovern’s request to include amendment votes repealing the 2002 and 1991 authorizations for use of military force, House Rules Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) stated that McCarthy has assured that these authorizations, and potentially the 2001 authorization, will be addressed in September.
The NDAA typically receives bipartisan support and passed out of the House Armed Services Committee 58-1 in June. However, with a slim House GOP majority and some GOP members who usually vote against the NDAA, McCarthy and House GOP leadership will face difficulties if Democrats refuse to support the legislation over any of the controversial amendments.
But House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) downplayed the difficulties of passing an NDAA with controversial amendments approved. He stated that if an amendment passes with Republican votes and becomes part of the NDAA, they will pass it with the required number of votes.
Even if the controversial amendments are approved and included in a House-passed version of the NDAA, they could be removed from the final version of the legislation. The Democratic-controlled Senate will pass its own version of the NDAA, and the two chambers will have to negotiate a final version that resolves any differences.
With the House Rules Committee completing consideration of the NDAA, there is a possibility that the House will complete consideration of the defense bill this week, contrary to earlier expectations.
The version of the NDAA that passed out of the House Armed Services Committee already includes measures addressing culture war issues, such as bans on drag shows and any training that promotes critical race theory.
Mychael Schnell contributed.