National Defense

New Defense Spending Bill Puts Slew Of Left-Wing Initiatives On Chopping Block

Flickr/Official White House Photo by Cameron Smith

Congress’ latest defense spending bill unveiled Saturday would deal a major blow to a slew of left-wing policy initiatives that have been pushed by the Biden Pentagon.

The National Defense Reauthorization Act of 2025 (NDAA) includes provisions that prohibit the use of Department of Defense (DoD) funds to promote Critical Race Theory, climate change, the procurement of sex change surgeries for children and further extends a freeze on hiring for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, according to the text of the bill. The bill is likely to pass a Republican-controlled House and Senate amid promises from President-elect Donald Trump to rein in the so-called “woke” military.

“Our military should be focused on lethality not far-left woke nonsense,” Republican Alabama Rep. and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “The FY25 NDAA extends the DEI hiring freeze and prohibits funding for the politically biased Counter Extremism Working Group.”

The Countering Extremist Activity Working Group was established by the Biden-Harris administration in 2021 to “gain a better understanding of the scope of the problem of extremist activity” within the military’s ranks, according to the Pentagon. Biden Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been accused of targeting conservatives under the guise of anti-extremism.

The DEI hiring freeze was first enacted in the fiscal year 2024 NDAA after the Senate amended the House’s proposal to axe all DEI positions entirely. The bill specifically prohibits any part of the hiring freeze text to be construed to block the dismissal of DEI employees.

The bill also includes a historic raise for junior enlisted troops like privates and corporals, giving ranks E-1 through E-4 a 14.5% raise through fiscal year 2025. The Biden administration opposed the pay raise in June when the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) initially proposed a $24.4 billion increase over five years.

“I am proud of much of the NDAA. We provided a historic pay increase for our junior-enlisted troops, protected children against dangerous medical treatments, improved the ability to plan for protracted warfare, and sharpened our tools to work with Israel, Taiwan, and other partners,” Mississippi Republican Sen. and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee Roger Wicker said in a statement provided to the DCNF. “However, the failure to include a topline increase is a tremendous loss for our national defense. Many senior flag officers, defense strategists, and other experts continue to note that this is the most dangerous moment since World War II.”

The NDAA includes provisions to reinforce support for Indo-Pacific allies such as South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Australia among many other U.S.-aligned nations. Tension in the region has increased in recent weeks, with South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol declaring martial law briefly to counter what he said were “communist forces” in the nation and China sending ships off the coast of Taiwan in response to their president’s visit to Hawaii and Guam, according to The Associated Press.

It also authorizes the withholding of DoD funding for organizations who boycott Israel, according to the text of the bill. Tensions in the Middle East have increased dramatically on top of Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, with Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria collapsing to rebel forces on Saturday.

Trump’s Defense Secretary pick Pete Hegseth has been a longtime advocate for removing left-wing initiatives in the military, according to Politico. However, his nomination faces roadblocks amid a sexual assault allegation and accusations of alcohol abuse from former Fox News colleagues.

For 2025, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) will conduct an assessment on the impact of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) on the U.S., according to the bill. TdA initially gained national attention for their taking over of an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, with their presence only increasing on U.S. soil.

Senate Armed Services Committee Democrats did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include comment from Republican Sen. Roger Wicker.