Senate Republicans on Tuesday introduced a bill to ban taxpayer-funded drag queen shows on military bases, calling the shows a “gross misuse of taxpayer funds.”
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Steve Daines (R., Mont.), prohibits using Department of Defense funds and facilities “to host, advertise, or otherwise support an adult cabaret performance,” which the bill defines as “a performance that features topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dances, strippers, or male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to prurient interest,” Fox News reported.
“Allowing the DoD to become a branch of [the] far-left helping to promote their radical gender ideology by hosting and promoting drag queen performances is a threat to our national security and gross misuse of taxpayer funds. This must be stopped immediately,” Daines said in a statement.
Daines fears the military’s embrace of drag queens and other woke ideology is also crippling its ongoing recruitment struggles. In an attempt to attract the younger generation, the Navy promoted a “nonbinary” drag queen to be its “digital ambassador,” the Washington Free Beacon reported last week. In FY 2022, the Army fell 25 percent—or 15,000 active-duty soldiers—short of its recruiting goal, and the Navy is expected to fall 8,000 short of its recruitment goal in FY 2023.
“When it comes to the crisis of military recruitment, it is clear that activities like ‘Drag Story Time’ only weaken cohesion and morale and further degrade the recruitment and retention of men and women serving our country in uniform,” Daines wrote in a Tuesday letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. . . . (read more on Washington Free Beacon)
S.1503 – A bill to prohibit the use of Department of Defense funds for adult cabaret performances.
PROHIBITION.—None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available for the Department of Defense and no facilities owned or operated by Department of Defense may be used to host, advertise, or otherwise support an adult cabaret performance.
ADULT CABARET PERFORMANCE DEFINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘adult cabaret performance’’ means a performance that features topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dances, strippers, or male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to prurient interest.
DAINES LEADS BILL TO BAN DOD FROM FUNDING, HOSTING DRAG QUEEN PERFORMANCES (Press Release)
U.S. Senator Steve Daines today led a group of his Republican colleagues in introducing a bill to stop the Department of Defense (DOD) from using taxpayer funds or taxpayer-funded facilities from hosting drag queen performances. The bill follows recent reports that Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, Montana, hosted a “Drag Story Time” targeted at children at the base library.
In addition, Daines sent another letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asking for further clarification regarding the situation at Malmstrom.
“Our military’s mission is clear: to provide the military forces needed to deter and win wars and to protect the security of our country and our allies. Allowing the DOD to become a branch of far-Left helping to promote their radical gender ideology by hosting and promoting drag queen performances is a threat to our national security and gross misuse of taxpayer funds. This must be stopped immediately,” Daines said.
Senators Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) joined Daines in introducing the bill.
Daines also sent a follow up letter to the Pentagon today since initial explanations from the Defense Department were completely inadequate. Read Daines’ letter HERE.
Last week, Daines wrote an op-ed highlighting the woke policies, including hosting drag shows, that are weakening the military.
Since the “Drag Story Time” that took place on Malmstrom Air Force Base was recently uncovered, Daines has led the fight to get answers and hold the administration accountable.
In March, Daines led Congressmen Ryan Zinke (MT-01) and Matt Rosendale (MT-02) in sending a letter to Pentagon leadership demanding answers on how and why this event took place.
Dear Secretary Austin,
I am writing in response to your April 18, 2023, letter in which you contradict your own congressional testimony delivered on March 29, 2023, as well as that of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley. Your responses were inadequate in addressing my questions so I am asking for further clarification.
In that testimony you claimed drag shows are not something the Defense Department supports or funds and that you were unaware the event was happening. General Milley even stated they “should not be happening” on military installations.
However, in your April 18 letter, you write in regard to the drag show for children that was held at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, MT, that leadership at the Department of the Air Force “values an inclusive and supportive environment” because it “enables Service members to focus on mission and being part of a high performing team.”
How do you reconcile that claim with the testimony you and General Milley gave on March 29, specifically General Milley’s emphatic statement that these events should not be happening?
As I said in the first letter I sent you on Mach 31, 2023, when it comes to the crisis of military recruitment, it is clear that activities like “Drag Story Time” only weaken cohesion and morale and further degrade the recruitment and retention of men and women serving our country in uniform.
Furthermore, your April 18 letter states that, “Event spaces on the installation are made available to military-affiliated individuals and installation-recognized private organizations to host events with a variety of themes.” Your response also claimed that “no taxpayer funds were spent to host or facilitate the event.”
How do you reconcile that claim with that fact that the event was shared on the base’s official social media channels?
I look forward to your response to these additional questions.
Steve Daines
United States Senator
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