[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 118 (Tuesday, July 11, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H3180-H3181]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     STRENGTHENING OUR ARMED FORCES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Burchett) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, our troops risk their lives and make 
sacrifices every day in service to our

[[Page H3181]]

great country. Many have given their lives to defend the freedoms we 
take for granted, including my Uncle Roy, who died fighting Nazis in 
France during World War II.
  Unfortunately, our military has become a victim of the woke agenda. 
The Federal Government should focus on strengthening our Armed Forces, 
but Democratic leaders lost sight of that a long time ago.
  Defense leaders in the Biden administration are now focused on 
creating the most diverse military instead of the best military. They 
spend time and taxpayer money pandering to those folks because it 
scores political points, Madam Speaker. It scores points with the woke 
mob, and the world is laughing at us for it.
  Military leaders are forcing soldiers to read books on critical race 
theory and scheduling drag shows on the bases, of all things.

                              {time}  1215

  President Biden requested around $150 million in the defense budget 
for diversity and inclusion programs. That is the American people's 
money spent on this nonsense, Madam Speaker.
  If the Biden administration is so serious about prioritizing so-
called equity, then no one should have a problem with my amendment to 
the National Defense Authorization Act, which would require anyone who 
identifies as a man to register for the Selective Service. If these 
folks want to be treated like men, they need to act like men.
  I don't support the woke agenda, as you know. I am fully against it, 
but if Democrats want to play ball, then let's play some ball. Let's 
see what excuses they come up with for opposing this plan that puts 
some real responsibility on the folks.
  We are all sick of these games. We are sick of the Democrat leaders' 
hypocrisy. If they insist on going down this road, they should expect 
the responsibility that comes with it, or we could toss the whole woke 
agenda in the garbage can where it belongs.

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