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McClellan: House Republicans take NDAA, add ‘culture war amendments’

Rebecca Barnabi
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In mid-June, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, voted against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025.

The NDAA for 2025 was loaded with extreme MAGA culture war amendments.

The House Armed Services Committee advanced an NDAA focused on improving the quality of life of service members and their families on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis with a vote of 57 to 1. House Republicans then loaded the bill with extreme MAGA agenda wish list items that attack reproductive health care, women, LGBTQ+ and Blacks.

“The House Armed Services Committee came together on a strong bipartisan basis to advance a robust FY25 NDAA that supported our national security priorities, improved service members quality of life, and invested in America’s continued research and development. Unsurprisingly, MAGA Republicans used this must-pass legislation as a vehicle to wage their culture wars and advance poison pill policy riders,” McClellan said. “The House-passed version of the NDAA fails to address the priorities that matter to our service members and threatens key programs and resources. I could not support this legislation in good conscience. I look forward to reviewing the Senate version of the NDAA, which I hope will more closely align with the base text my Armed Services Committee colleagues and I advanced out of committee.”

During the NDAA debate on the House floor, McClellan fought back against Republicans’ poison pill amendments, which included attempts to strip DEI initiatives from the final bill, abandon our NATO and Ukrainian allies, and restore a Confederate memorial previously removed from Arlington National Cemetery. McClellan’s debate clips are available here.

In May 2024, McClellan voted for the FY25 NDAA when it passed out of the House Armed Services Committee. The bill included all seven of McClellan’s amendments to improve the quality of life of our service members and their families.

National Defense Authorization Act passes committee to House floor with McClellan amendments – Augusta Free Press

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca J. Barnabi is the national editor of Augusta Free Press. A graduate of the University of Mary Washington, she began her journalism career at The Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star. In 2013, she was awarded first place for feature writing in the Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia Awards Program, and was honored by the Virginia School Boards Association’s 2019 Media Honor Roll Program for her coverage of Waynesboro Schools. Her background in newspapers includes writing about features, local government, education and the arts.