House Republicans on Tuesday will bring forward spending bills for the Department of Veterans Affairs and related agencies that they hope can be used to roll back the Biden administration’s policies on abortion, transgender health care and other lightning rod issues.
In a statement Monday, the White House said it would veto the bill because it would have “devastating consequences, including undermining access to reproductive health care; jeopardizing the health and safety of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) Americans; jeopardizing marriage equality; hindering critical climate change efforts; and hindering the administration’s efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
But the spending bill is due to be voted on in the House of Representatives this week before lawmakers take a month-long recess. And depending on which conservative lawmakers’ amendments win votes and become attached to the bill, it could be even more jarring for the White House.
Below are six amendments Republicans are proposing to the $152 billion appropriations bill, an increase of $18 billion from last year’s bill.
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Veterans Affairs Secretary Dennis McDonough has led the department since the beginning of President Biden’s term. (Getty Images/Files)
Stop military from removing Confederate symbols
One of the amendments proposed by Rep. Bob Goode of Virgina and Rep. Andrew Clyde of Georgia would block the government from spending money to implement recommendations made by the Pentagon’s Naming Commission. The Naming Commission is a congressional-approved committee tasked with recommending new labels for military assets, including bases, named after Confederate symbols.
The commission came about as a result of a bipartisan effort following the 2020 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The Department of Defense began implementing that recommendation this year.
A similar amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by Goode failed last week.
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Blocking funding for gender reassignment surgery
Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green’s amendment would block federal funding for “any sex reassignment surgery” under the jurisdiction of the Department of Veterans Affairs. A similar amendment had already been passed by the House Appropriations Committee in June.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Dennis McDonough announced in 2021 that the department’s health insurance will cover sex surgery for trans veterans.
An amendment aimed at gender ideology by Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert could also pass. Boubert’s provision prohibits federal funds from going to a veterans program called “Management of Gender Diversity in the Department of Veterans Affairs.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is one of several conservative Republicans who have introduced amendments aimed at social issues. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images/File)
Withholding funding from drag shows
Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana introduced an amendment aimed at blocking funds contained in the VA spending bill from being used to promote adult cabaret performances and LGBTQ-themed events.
The Pentagon has banned drag shows on military bases this summer. It’s a long-standing policy that came into effect only after intense pressure from Republicans, who argued that such rhetoric, and the Pentagon’s focus on fairness and diversity under the Biden administration, was hurting recruitment efforts amid a widespread military shortage.
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Ban on funding ESG initiatives
Environmental, social, and governance investing (ESG) has been targeted by Republican lawmakers who say it is a way for big corporations to impose progressive policies on the country.
Texas Rep. Ronnie Jackson’s proposed amendment to the Veterans Affairs Fund bill would prevent the Department of Veterans Affairs from establishing any ESG-themed advisory committee.
No such advisory committee currently exists at the Department of Veterans Affairs, although the Advisory Committee on Environmental Hazards is listed as “administratively inactive” on the Department’s website.
Rep. Matt Rosendale’s amendment targets VA dollars that could be used for drag shows. (Bill Clark/Getty Images/File)
Restrictions on Access to Abortion
One of several amendments introduced by Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee would “remove the abortion funding exception from the bill.”
The bill itself contains language that prevents federal funds from being spent on abortions except in cases of rape, incest, and the life of the mother.
Ogles’ proposal is one of two abortion-related amendments to the bill. Mr. Green introduced measures to limit abortion and abortion-related services and to block the flow of funds to other agencies to carry out such procedures.
Biden’s Climate Change Policy Banned
Amendments by Rep. Chip Roy of Texas and Rep. Kat Kamack of Florida broadly block the federal budget granted by the bill from being used to develop Mr. Biden’s climate change efforts. Roy is one of three conservatives on the rules committee to consider which of dozens of amendments will pass in the House.
Roy’s words would block the Biden administration’s plan to replace the VA’s nearly 22,000 vehicles with zero-emission vehicles, which Boubert also seeks to block with his spending bill amendments.
