Nashville, TN – While Russian aggression, Chinese belligerence, and other threats jeopardize international stability, the Joe Biden Administration devotes valuable taxpayer funding and resources to woke diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
As part of this effort, the administration has created a Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) position within the DoD.
U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced the Restoring Military Focus Act to eliminate the position of CDO and prohibit federal funds from being used to establish any similar office.
U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) are cosponsors of the legislation.
“The U.S. military should be focused on confronting the New Axis of Evil — not telling our troops they are racist, teaching CRT or pushing gender pronouns,” said Senator Blackburn. “Our brave warriors should be evaluated solely on their merit.”
“Our military should be focused on protecting our national security, not on promoting woke nonsense. The current direction we are heading in is dangerous,” said Senator Rubio. “If we don’t reverse course, we risk jeopardizing our military strength, national interests, and security.”
“Americans expect the Department of Defense to focus on maintaining our military as a combat-ready force capable of defeating and killing our enemies. Instead, the Joe Biden administration has transformed the Pentagon into a laboratory for woke policies,” said Senator Cruz. “The result is breathtakingly irresponsible and reckless.”
“The men and women serving our nation in the military do not need to be focused on ‘woke’ training practices,” said Senator Lankford. “Their job is to be ready for the call to protect our nation—not to be up to speed on the latest ‘woke’ terminology. We need to focus on national security.”
“The Restoring Military Forces Act takes the right steps to protect our military from toxic, un-American ideologies and put the focus back on the number one priority: defending our nation’s security,” said Senator Hawley.
“The Department of Defense having a ‘Chief Diversity Officer’ is unnecessary. Young Americans join the military to learn how to defend our country, not learn about radical ideologies,” said Senator Cotton. “It’s no wonder our military is facing a recruiting crisis under the Biden Administration.”
“The spread of gender and race ideology at the Department of Defense is toxic and diminishes our fighting force. Our military is not a place for social experimentation,” said Senator Wicker. “With the rise of severe military threats from China and Russia, any step forward in improving our national defense must include rooting out these corrosive ideas and improving quality of life for our troops.”
U.S. Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) introduced the legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives in July 2021.
