Congressman Grothman's Statement on DEI in the Military

A STARRS delegation met with the Congressman in early February 2024.

(Press Release) Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-WI) released the following statement regarding the divisive diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in the U.S. military, the Congressional hearings he has held on the topic, and his outlook on the government funding bills this week.

“Our military is grappling with the Biden Administration’s social experiments of integrating principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion into their ranks to the detriment of our armed forces,” said Congressman Glenn Grothman.

The military should not be focusing on divisive ideological initiatives, especially when they are failing to meet their recruitment goals by 41,000 people.

It is troubling that the sitting Secretary of the Air Force sent a memo stating his goal was not to produce the best possible fighting force, but to achieve ‘a force more representative of our Nation’, and subsequently direct his recruiters to develop a plan that would cut the number of white males serving by 33%.

This goal is just divisive and does not promote the hiring of someone based off skill, but rather on the color of their skin to check off a nonexistent box.

I have held two hearings on the impact of these divisive ideologies in the military, where we heard form servicemembers who were negatively impacted by extreme DEI policies, one servicemember going as far as saying he was dismissed for speaking truth to power on these policies.

The Department of Defense requested $114.7 million for diversity and inclusion initiatives as part of the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget request.

I believe they fail to recognize the financial burden these priorities place on troops and taxpayers, as well as the message it sends that some DEI managers are making over $180,000 per year in the military.

I am dismayed by the trajectory our military is taking under the current Administration.

I believe the Department has some serious soul-searching to do before I can vote to approve new funding.

No longer can the Biden Administration prioritize progressive ideologies over warfighting capabilities and military readiness.”

Congressman Grothman, Chairman of the House Oversight Committee’s Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs has held two hearings on the impact of progressive ideologies in the U.S. Military.

On March 28, 2023, Grothman held a hearing titled Ensuring Force Readiness: Examining Progressivism’s Impact on an All-Volunteer Military. Click here for key takeaways from the hearing, including:

The Biden Administration is prioritizing progressive ideologies over warfighting capabilities and military readiness.
The Biden Administration’s progressive agenda has created a military recruiting crisis.

Grothman’s second hearing on January 11, 2024 was titled The Risks of Progressive Ideologies in the U.S. Military. Click here to watch Chairman Grothman’s opening statement.

Click here to read the memo on diversity quotas sent by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall.