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Rep. Roy draws line on leftist agenda items in defense bill

November 30, 2022

WASHINGTON—On Tuesday, Rep. Chip Roy (TX-21), joined by Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Rep. Bob Good (VA-05), and Rep. Barry Moore (AL-02) formally called on the Democrat and Republican leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees to, “address the concerns of the American people regarding their military," and "prioritize the promotion of a lethal military and ready force to defend our nation’s interests around the globe."

The letter addresses the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act for the Fiscal Year 2023 and calls on the committee to address issues that are weakening our military and forcing a far-left political agenda on our troops, contrary to the will and well-being of the American people. Specifically, the lawmakers call to end the use of taxpayer dollars for abortion travel, to stop the federal government from forcing young women to sign up for the draft, to end the Pentagon’scareer-ending vaccine mandate, and to end to funding "woke" indoctrination measures.


On the Biden Administration’s abortion slush fund:

"The DoD’s decision to bypass Congress to – among other harmful measures – establish an abortion travel fund for service members and their families flies in the face of nearly half a century of bipartisan consensus to respect the sincere beliefs of millions of pro-life Americans by restraining the federal government from using taxpayer dollars to fund most abortions. This clear political maneuver from DoD will further undermine Americans’ trust in the U.S. Armed Forces and further hamstring future military recruitment efforts and it must be addressed."

On the female 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."

On the vaccine mandate:


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.

On woke indoctrination:

"'Woke' provisions are divisive and undermine the primary purpose of the NDAA which is to provide our brave service members the resources they need to defend our country – that’s it."

The week prior, Rep. Roy and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a detailed report exposing how the Biden Administration is deliberately weaking our nation’s military by injecting woke, anti-American ideology into it. You can read the report here.

Full text of Tuesday’s letter can be found here and below.

Dear Chairman Reed, Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Inhofe, and Ranking Member Rogers: 

As you are aware, the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is undergoing negotiations before coming back to the House floor. Importantly, rank and file Members of Congress, and those not included in direct negotiations with committee leadership will likely have no ability to amend this legislation. It is imperative the NDAA address the concerns of the American people regarding their military, and to be successful in this effort, Members must have their voices heard. 

We must prioritize the promotion of a lethal military and ready force to defend our nation’s interests around the globe. 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. 

First, the NDAA must include measures that will prohibit the authorization of U.S taxpayer dollars to carry out the Department of Defense (DoD) memorandum entitled “Ensuring Access to Reproductive Health Care” dated October 20, 2022. The DoD’s decision to bypass Congress to – among other harmful measures – establish an abortion travel fund for service members and their families flies in the face of nearly half a century of bipartisan consensus to respect the sincere beliefs of millions of pro-life Americans by restraining the federal government from using taxpayer dollars to fund most abortions. This clear political maneuver from DoD will further undermine Americans’ trust in the U.S. Armed Forces and further hamstring future military recruitment efforts and it must be addressed. 

Second, the NDAA must not amend the Military Selective Service Act (MSSA) to require young women to register with the Selective Service. Congress should never greenlight a future that cripples the American family by sending mothers and daughters to the frontlines – drafted to be combat replacements for casualties on the battlefield – while fathers and sons stay home. 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. Agreeing to draft our daughters would not only be foolish and ill-advised, but a direct stain on the history of this country. 

Thirdly, the NDAA must immediately end the DoD’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for service members. President Biden declared on September 19, 2022, that “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. 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 NDAA should not authorize a single dollar for green climate projects nor radical diversity, equity, and inclusion indoctrination measures. It is imperative that provisions advancing a radical social agenda are removed before the NDAA moves forward. “Woke” provisions are divisive and undermine the primary purpose of the NDAA which is to provide our brave service members the resources they need to defend our country – that’s it. 

The American taxpayers deserve an NDAA that will support the national security objectives of our nation and not undermine them.

Sincerely,

Chip Roy

Member of Congress

Andy Biggs

Member of Congress

Bob Good

Member of Congress

Barry Moore

Member of Congress

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