Congressman Jim Banks, US Navy Reserves, secured three amendments to be included in the FY 24 NDAA regarding anti-work military, reinstatement of service members discharged due to vax, and suspension of the Navy’s digital ambassador program (which featured a Navy drag queen):
REP. BANKS’ ANTI-WOKE AMENDMENT INCLUDED IN FY24 NDAA (Press Release, 21 Jun 23)
Today, Rep. Jim Banks (IN-03), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Military Personnel and Chairman of the Anti-Woke Caucus, passed an amendment mandating merit-based personnel systems at the Department of Defense in the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. Read the amendment here.
Said Rep. Banks: “America’s military became the greatest fighting force in the history of the world by promoting excellence, embracing colorblind principles, and attracting our nation’s best and brightest.
The Biden DoD’s indefensible race and gender-based treatment of servicemembers is making our military weaker and our nation less safe. Anti-woke legislators should continue to roll back the Biden administration’s radical attempts to deny Americans’ equal protection under the law.”
Background:
Rep. Banks’ amendment requires DoD to base its accession, assignment, selection, and promotion processes on merit and bans the services from taking into account race and gender during their recruiting processes.
At a Military Personnel Subcommittee hearing on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies, multiple service heads refused Rep. Banks’ request to pledge not to factor race or gender into their recruiting processes.
The Biden DoD has repeatedly set numerical racial quotas in its recruiting applicant pools. Rep. Banks’ amendment bans this practice.
REP. BANKS’ COVID VACCINE REINSTATEMENT AMENDMENTS PASS IN FY24 NDAA (Press Release, 21 June 23)
Today, Rep. Jim Banks (IN-03), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Military Personnel, passed three amendments in the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act offering redress to servicemembers unjustly discharged due the Biden administration’s partisan COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Rep. Banks’ Service Restoration amendment prohibits DoD from taking adverse action against troops based solely on their refusal to receive Covid-19 vaccines and lets soldiers discharged for vaccine refusal reenter the service as if they had just taken leave for study. Read it HERE.
Rep. Banks’ Board of Corrections Priority Review for Covid Separations amendment direct DoD’s Boards of Correction to grant requests from unvaccinated, discharged servicemembers discharged to change their reason for discharge and re-entry codes. Read it HERE.
Rep. Banks’ Covid Reinstatement Process amendment requires DOD to set up a reinstatement process for troops discharged for Covid vaccine refusal at their prior rate/grade and requires DOD to contact every member discharged due to Covid for possible reinstatement. Read it HERE.
Background:
DOD discharged over 8,000 servicemembers over its COVID mandate during a recruitment crisis and 8-16,000 unvaccinated servicemembers could still face disciplinary action.
The DoD IG found that the DoD did not individually review religious accommodation requests, as required by federal law, and instead issued blanket denials for the vast majority of religious exemption requests.
The Biden DoD continues to stand behind its disastrous COVID mandate. At a Military Personnel Hearing this year, DoD’s Under Secretary testified to Rep. Banks that “natural immunity is not something we believe in,” and the Army kept its vaccine directive for nearly a month after the Congress’s rescission deadline, and only revoked the directive after they received a letter from Rep. Banks.
REP. BANKS NDAA AMENDMENT SUSPENDS NAVY DIGITAL AMBASSADOR PROGRAM (Press Release, 21 Jun 23)
Today, the House Armed Services Committee passed Rep. Jim Banks’ amendment to the Fiscal Year 24 National Defense Authorization Act to suspend the Navy Digital Ambassador Program.
Earlier this year, when Rep. Jim Banks first uncovered the Navy Digital Ambassador Program, the Navy denied “Harpy Daniels” was affiliated with this program before later admitting it was created to help increase recruitment.
Following the Navy’s use of drag videos on social media in its recruiting efforts, the vice chief of naval operations testified that the Navy will likely miss its recruiting goals by 6,000 sailors for the current fiscal year.
This contradicts previous statements from Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin who claimed the Biden Pentagon does not sponsor drag performances.
Rep. Banks wrote Secretary Austin last month to ask for clarification.
SEC. 5ll. DIGITAL AMBASSADOR PROGRAM OF THE NAVY: CESSATION; REPORT; RESTART.
(a) CESSATION.—The Secretary of the Navy shall cease all activities of the digital ambassador program of the Office of Information of the Department of the Navy.
The Secretary shall notify each individual designated as a digital ambassador of such cessation and that the individual is not authorized to act as a digital ambassador of the Navy.
(b) RESTART.—The Secretary may not restart such program until 60 days after the date on which the Secretary submits to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and House of Representatives a report containing the following:
(1) All policies and documents of the program.
(2) The number of digital ambassadors designated.
(3) The process and criteria for such designation.
(4) The duties of a digital ambassador.
(5) The online platforms (including social media) on which an individual is authorized under such program to perform duties of a digital ambassador.
(6) The determination of the Secretary that such program complies with applicable laws, regulations, and guidance.
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