House GOP Squabbles Over Defense Spending Bill Stuffed With Anti-Woke Provisions

A defense spending bill garnished with new provisions appealing to Republicans on hot-button issues is in jeopardy in the GOP-led House, but not because of the bill itself, according to Politico.

The annual defense appropriations bill emerged from the House Rules Committee on Tuesday night with amendments blocking Ukraine security assistance and defunding the Pentagon’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) offices. Debate on the bill, which is already loaded with provisions aimed at stripping down the Pentagon’s DEI, gender and abortion initiatives is slated to begin Wednesday afternoon, but opposition from some Republicans who want Speaker Kevin McCarthy to take a harder line on spending could jeopardize a vote, Politico reported.

“Nobody’s objecting to what’s in the bill,” House Rules Committee Chair Tom Cole of Oklahoma told Politico. “Everybody’s trying to leverage the bill for something now.”

The Rules Committee voted 8-5 Tuesday night to send the appropriations bill, with 184 additional amendments, to the floor, although it’s unclear if the Republicans can gin up enough support to see it pass the full House, according to Politico.