NEW: These 9 Republicans Voted To Keep DEI In The Military, Tanked Gaetz’s Amendment

On Friday, nine Republicans joined Democrats to vote down an amendment proposed by Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) that aimed to prohibit the use of federal funds for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training in the military. The amendment was defeated with a narrow margin of 221 to 210, with no Democrats voting in favor.

The nine Republicans who voted against the Gaetz amendment were: Don Bacon (R-NE), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR), Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR), John James (R-MI), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Marcus Molinaro (R-NY), and Mike Turner (R-OH).

Gaetz’s proposal was one of several Republican amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that have sparked controversy among Democrats.

DEI initiatives are seen by some as fostering a more inclusive and effective force. Advocates argue that a diverse military is a strong military. However, many critics, like Gaetz and others who supported his amendment, argue that these initiatives are divisive and distract from the military’s primary objectives. They believe that the focus should be on military readiness and capability, rather than on social issues.

Speaking in support of his amendment from the House floor, Gaetz stated yesterday, “What I bring to the House now is the most fulsome amendment to completely remove DEI from the DOD.” He further added that even if his amendment didn’t pass, the NDAA in its current form “takes a meat cleaver to DEI,” ensuring that DEI will not be a principal feature of military service if the bill becomes law.

In a tweet, Gaetz expressed his disappointment with the Democrats, stating, “Democrats in Congress can’t handle the TRUTH! We must stop the wokeification of our military and cut all funding for divisive DEI indoctrination!”

Democrats in Congress can’t handle the TRUTH!

We must stop the wokeification of our military and cut all funding for divisive DEI indoctrination! pic.twitter.com/754Fc2w1IG

— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) July 14, 2023

The debate on the House floor was heated, with strong opposition to the amendment. Rep. Horsford (D-NV) argued that the comments made by Gaetz and others showed exactly why DEI initiatives are needed in the military.

Despite the defeat, Gaetz remains committed to his stance against DEI in the military, arguing that it dilutes military readiness. His sentiments were echoed by a fellow representative who argued that the military should focus on mission readiness rather than race.

Rep. Luna (R-FL) expressed her discontent with the increasing focus on DEI in the military, asserting that the real focus should be on mission readiness.

“I would just like to remind people that whether you’re white, black, brown, we all bleed the same,” Luna stated, framing the discussion around the commonality of all soldiers, regardless of race. “So to have this completely divisive ideology being pushed, to have members from across the aisle making it about race, when some of these members have not even served, it’s completely to me, not only a foreign ideology.”

Referencing her husband’s service in Afghanistan, Luna emphatically queried, “When my husband was shot in Afghanistan, do you think he was sitting there asking what color the person that was evac-ing him was? Do you think he was sitting there wondering about diversity, equity, and inclusion?”

“This goes to show that maybe more members across the aisle need to be serving in our military because that’s not something that we focus on,” Luna contended. “What we focus on is mission readiness… I don’t care if you guys think that I’m racist. I’m a minority woman. Maybe I’m the wrong color of minority for you, but I’m a minority woman. I support this for those reasons because I’ve lost friends.”