Will this finally be the week when Republicans take a critical look at our woke and broken military?

For years, as the military deteriorated in terms of its values, leadership, and mission focus, Republicans were solely focused on the top-line spending of how much we unconditionally shovel at the Pentagon and the military-industrial complex. After all, it was supposedly all to “support the troops.” But even when they had the chance to debate and vote on the National Defense Authorization Act, which is supposed to be a policy bill, their main focus was appropriations and not policy changes.

Indeed, the current defense bill would have defense spending rise from $858.6 billion in the current fiscal year (already a massive increase from FY 2022) to $886 billion in FY 2024. But if we continue to fund corruption, Ukraine, and a woke military, then what is the purpose?

This week, the House will consider the FY 2024 NDAA. On Tuesday, the Rules Committee will sort through over 1,400 amendments and decide which ones will get a vote. There are a number of good amendments, but here are some much-needed policy changes in the following areas: 1) ending systemic racism in the military; 2) terminating COVID fascism; 3) canceling the climate stupidity; 4) defeating gender ideology; 5) stopping the Ukrainian heist; 6) targeting the waste and fraud of the military-industrial complex; 7) prioritizing our border as a military mission; and 8) limiting the surveillance state the defense agencies have weaponized against Americans.

Here is the list of amendments. Many members have similar amendments, so if I’m elevating one over the other, it’s for the purpose of brevity, not to slight any member.

1) Ending Systemic Racism in the Military

The military is the last place where we should be teaching inferiority or guilt of one race. It is the ultimate pride of the nation and should represent true equality. Here are some worthy amendments that should be passed:

2) Terminating COVID Fascism

Although last year’s NDAA banned the COVID vaccine mandates, there is still widespread discrimination against people for not getting the shots, and almost none of those kicked out have been made whole again. We must also make sure this can never happen again. Here are some amendments addressing it:

3) Canceling climate stupidity

4) Defeating Gender ideology

5) Stopping the Ukraine Heist

Almost no day goes by without the Pentagon giving more money and weapons to Ukraine without any regard for what we hope to accomplish. Now the Biden administration has approved cluster bombs for Ukraine to do nothing but prolong an unwinnable war. The NDAA along with the DOD appropriations bill is the time to finally address this scam. It has gone on for too long.

6) Targeting the Military-Industrial Complex

For too long, conservatives have pretended that the rules of rent-seeking in government dictating bad policies don’t apply to the Pentagon. In fact, they apply there more than anywhere else, except perhaps for pharma and HHS. The Pentagon has failed every audit, and a recent report from the Government Accountability Office estimates that $220 billion worth of government-owned gear provided to military contractors is unaccounted for – and that figure is "likely significantly understated." There are several amendments that target both the lack of accountability and the political rent-seeking and revolving door inherent in the public-private defense establishment.

7) Reprioritizing Military to Our Own Border

8) Terminating the Surveillance State