Amna: The U.S. House passed a
nearly 900 billion dollar budget
for the armed forces today
largely on partisan lines.
Most Democrats voted no after
Republicans added anti-abortion
and other provisions to the
bill.
House speaker Kevin Mccarthy and
democratic leader hakeem
Jeffries laid out the divide
today.
>> A military cannot defend
themselves if you train them in
woke.
We don't want disneyland to
train our military.
We want our men and women in the
military to have every defense
possible.
That's what our bill does.
>> As house Democrats, we are
going to cut out the cancer that
the extreme Maga Republicans
have put in the national defense
authorization act, no matter
what it takes, and we're going
to partner with senate
Republicans and senate Democrats
to get a responsible national
defense authorization act.
Amna: New York Times
congressional correspondent
karoun Demirjian is here to help
us understand the plan's
implications for the military
and in congress.
Good to see you could before we
get into the details, give us
the top lines.
>> It is for various defense and
national security priorities.
It covers everything from
programs to help states better
counter China and Russia, $300
million in security systems --
assistance to Ukraine and
includes a 5.2% pay increase for
active-duty troops.
Amna: We mentioned, largely
along party lines.
Why did Sony Democrats vote
against it?
Karoun: The last few days, the
Republicans in the house have
added a series of schuurs,
amending them into the bill that
do a lot of things Democrats
don't like.
There was a measure they voted
on yesterday that they rolled
back a Pentagon policy that
offers time off and travel
reimbursement to people, service
members who have to go out of
state to obtain an abortion.
There was another provision that
would into the military's
ability to offer health care
coverage for gender transition
surgeries and hormone therapies,
and a provision that slashed all
of the office of diversity
training into the officials that
worked in those offices.
And another one today that and
the dod from implementing Bidens
climate change order.
They are all anathema for the
democratic party, so they said
we are not on this, it was
supposed to be bipartisan and it
is not.
Amna: There were two amend
efforts that failed, and attempt
to limit Ukraine aid, that was
backed by Matt Gaetz and
Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Another provision to restore the
old confederate names of
military bases.
Why did some of those failed to
make it into the bill?
Karoun: The confederate name
issue came up a couple of years
ago, and is much as president
trump was pushing for, it wasn't
completely possible -- popular
in the Republican party.
The Ukraine one is interesting
because we always knew the
initiative to cut Ukraine's
funding was going to fail.
Too many mainstream leaders have
been outspoken about to maintain
support for Ukraine because it's
about the west versus Russia we
don't want to fight a war with
Russia.
While Democrats and Republicans
stay together to vote them down,
the interesting thing is how
money will Republicans voted to
cut the funding.
About a year ago, we saw some
Republicans vote against
assistance to Ukraine, now we
sell 70 say no more money and I
think it was about 89 said let's
cut the $300 million program I
mentioned.
The members are taking a.
-- Taking up.
Amna: Let's talk about the
senate version which will likely
look very Democrats in the
democratic controlled senate.
This is a critical must pass
bill.
How does this get resolved?
Karoun: That's a good question.
You're going to have a really
Republican measure from the
house come face-to-face with a
really democratic measure from
the senate.
If it was just up to members of
the armed services committee, I
think it would be a very --
bill.
If you just left the four of
them to work it out they would
probably say let's do something
we can pass with both houses of
congress and a strong bipartisan
majority.
But it's got to go through a
conference process were a lot
more people will be at the table
and they will be fighting really
hard to include these
provisions.
At the end of the day, it's not
clear if they can get a
resolution for that.
That's a situation where you
would break congress's streak of
nearly six decades of passing
this annually.
The defense bill is the biggest
policy bill congress does every
year and they are supposed to do
these bills before passing bills
for the rest of the government.
Defense is such a huge part of
the budget.
I guess the worst case scenario
is can't get a resolution and
defense goes the way everything
else has.
Amna: I have to ask about one of
the provisions to cut the
diversity, inclusivity office.
One congressman used an outdated
term to refer to black
Americans, he said colored
people.
Doesn't that seem to undercut
the Republican argument that the
offices needed?
Karoun: A nod of -- a lot of
Democrats went on the floor to
say you need training.
The GOP won the fight in the
house, it won't win the fight in
congress, there has to be
compromises.
But they for making the argument
that this is a waste of money
that encourages racism, everyone
is equal.
But they need to walk the walk.
People like this are using
that term, it undercuts the
argument.
Amna: A lot to track and we know
you will be following up.
Good to see you.
Karoun: Good to see you too.
Thank you.
♪♪