Strengthening Our Armed Forces

Floor Speech

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Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, our troops risk their lives and make sacrifices every day in service to our 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.

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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