Remove woke policies from DOD

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo (both R-Idaho) today voted in support of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

While Senators Risch and Crapo are supportive of the critical funding for our national defense and support military infrastructure and personnel in Idaho, both strongly oppose the continued inclusion of DoD’s travel abortion policy. As a result, the Idaho Senators are doubling down in their efforts to overturn this dangerous policy. Both senators opposed the DoD’s travel abortion policy from its onset, and they intend to push this legislative fix in order to protect the lives of the unborn.

“The men and women in America’s military deserve a pay raise, especially given inflationary costs have skyrocketed their grocery and gas bills,”  said Risch and Crapo. “This defense authorization legislation not only provides this needed raise but it keeps American military readiness on track, reinstates border wall construction, removes woke liberal priorities in our Department of Defense, provides millions to Idaho, and ensures taxpayer dollars are spent in a responsible fashion. Like most massive bills, this is far from perfect, but it will ensure our military is better equipped to protect our nation at a time when threats abound abroad.” 

The NDAA will:

• Provide a 5.2% pay raise for troops;
• Freeze Department of Defense (DoD) hires for Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI);
• Limit the salary of DoD DEI hires;
• Require DoD to continue construction of the border wall;
• Prohibit critical race theory (CRT) at DoD;
• Create a new inspector general for Ukraine provision authored by Senators Risch and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), which will build on existing oversight structure, establish a special inspector general for Ukraine oversight, and provide that office with a clear mandate and enhanced hiring authorities and resources;
• Require the Air Force to develop a long-term fighter sustainment plan, which was based on the  Fighter Force Preservation and Recapitalization Act authored by Senator Crapo and supported by Senator Risch;
• Provide $36.5 million for the Naval Reactors Facility Medical Science Complex in Idaho Falls;
• Provide more than $17 million for the Jerome County National Guard Readiness Center;
• Provide more than $440 million to the Idaho National Lab (INL);
• Provide $176.7 million funding for Project Pele, a mobile micro nuclear reactor pilot program on schedule for deployment to the INL by 2025;
• Support research for composite alternatives to titanium, including thermoplastics at Funding Advanced Thermoplastics Composite (ATC) Manufacturing in Post Falls, Idaho;
• Provide funding for the Civil Air Patrol, which has a very active Idaho Wing; and 
• Direct the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a nuclear fuel program with the purpose of onshoring nuclear fuel production. This will help eliminate U.S. reliance on Russian enriched uranium, which is needed for energy production and national security. Risch introduced this legislation— Nuclear Fuels Security Act—in partnership with Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.).

# # #