Republican lawmakers sounded off towards the Defense Department’s newest multimillion request to fund range initiatives within the wake of one other failed audit.

House conservatives blasted the Pentagon’s $114 million request to fund range, fairness, inclusion and accessibility, or DEIA, applications this week, saying the transfer was one other instance of the army focusing extra on progressivism than warfighting, and exacerbating an already dire recruiting disaster.

The request, the Pentagon’s largest ever ask for DEIA funding, comes because the company failed its sixth audit in as a few years.

“The Pentagon has no idea where the hell all the taxpayer money that has been funding it went for the past six years, but they have the audacity to ask for more funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia posted on X.

She continued, “Does Joe Biden want the military to be a lethal fighting force or a clown show??”

Defense Department officers mentioned within the request that the funding push was assembly President Biden’s proposal for this yr’s finances and demonstrated the Pentagon’s “commitment ” to range actions.

The Defense Department didn't touch upon the conservative criticism, telling The Washington Times that “it is inappropriate for the department to comment on pending legislation.”

The Pentagon had by no means accomplished an audit till 2018 and has not handed one since taking up the duty of auditing its over $3 trillion in property. The division’s chief monetary officer, Michael McCord, mentioned of the failed report that “things are showing progress,” however that “it’s not enough.”

Mr. McCord’s optimism comes because the Pentagon made the identical quantity of progress as final yr’s audit. The company accomplished solely seven of 29 required subaudits, the identical tally because the yr earlier than.

Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida mentioned on X that President Biden’s “weakness” has prompted chaos across the globe.

“Now more than ever we need our military to be strong & focused solely on winning. But what did DOD request after failing its audit? $114M for DEI,” Mr. Donalds mentioned. “We must get SERIOUS.”

The outpouring of criticism towards the funding request comes months after the GOP-led House handed the $886 billion National Defense Authorization Act, which yearly greenlights funding and coverage adjustments for the Pentagon.

The laws was jam-packed with conservative amendments designed to intestine range, fairness and inclusion positions within the army. The hot-button coverage baked into the House’s model of the invoice is probably going useless on arrival within the Democrat-led Senate.

Both chambers handed their respective iterations of the NDAA in July, however have but to satisfy in convention to hash out a ultimate product.

Content Source: www.washingtontimes.com