Culture War Riders Are Back in the House’s Draft Military Construction, VA Spending Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Republicans have added at least 10 new poison pill policy riders to their draft Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies spending bill, according to the Clean Budget Coalition, which is tracking them. The new poison pills in the bill:

• Block executive orders on racial equity, diversity, and inclusion, the use of funding for offices to implement those policies, and bans Critical Race Theory;
• Ban gender affirming care and pride flags;
• Allow discrimination against same-sex marriages;
• Thwart measures to address COVID-19, including mask mandates; and
• Block at least half a dozen executive orders on clean energy and climate change.

“The House GOP’s culture war attacks in the annual spending bills are back with a vengeance, even as the rest of the country has moved on,” said Lisa Gilbert, executive vice president of Public Citizen and co-chair of the Clean Budget Coalition.

“This Military Construction bill shows the FY25 cycle is kicking off with a bad case of  deja vu when it comes to poison pills. House Republican appropriators appear to have learned nothing from their mistakes and failures in the last budget cycle. It’s more important than ever that lawmakers remain firm in their opposition to these toxic measures, and that future proposed bills omit them.”