1/2 Of Republican Members Of Tennessee Delegation Voted Yes To NDAA, Allowing Taxpayer Funded Trans Surgery And Spying To Continue (Update 12.20.23)
***Update 12.20.23 – Senator Bill Hagerty replied to our inquiries regarding his vote. Article has been updated with his statement.
Image Credit: Javiercostaf / CC
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
Half of the Republican members of the Tennessee Congressional Delegation voted yes to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) yesterday, allowing taxpayer funded trans surgery and spying on Americans to continue.
The NDAA passed both chambers with 147 Republicans voting yes in the House and 73 voting no.
Republican congressman from Tennessee who voted yes were Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, Rep. Scott DesJarlais, and Rep. David Kustoff.
In the Senate, both Tennessee Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty voted Yea.
The critical defense policy bill sets the policy agenda and authorizes funding for the Department of Defense every year. The final version of the NDAA for fiscal year 2024 authorizes $886 billion. It now goes to the president to be signed.
The increase in funding of $28 billion over last year will provide a 5.2% pay raise for military members which is the largest raise for service members in more than 20 years.
After the vote, Rep. Andy Ogles – who voted no – posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“As if the DEI trainings and funding for drag shows wasn’t enough, today’s NDAA also contains $600 MILLION for Ukraine and not a dime for our southern border,” said Ogles.
Rep. David Kustoff also posted to X saying, “Today, I voted to pass the #NDAA. America is facing unprecedented threats from across the globe. This bill will give our servicemembers the largest pay raise in over 20 years and bolster our military readiness,” stated Kustoff. “It is critical that Congress provides our military with the resources it needs to defend our nation and protect our freedom. The 2024 NDAA counters China’s aggression, establishes oversight of military spending, and combats cartels at the southern border.”
Rep. Mark Green’s statement was also published to X:
“I voted NO on FY24’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Taking care of our troops is my top priority, but I will not vote for an NDAA that fails to address major problems in President Biden’s Pentagon. While the original House-passed NDAA that I supported would have protected servicemembers wrongly discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine and would have ended taxpayer-funded travel for abortions and gender transition surgeries, this conference version failed to do that. We had an opportunity to counter the Biden administration’s radical agenda – this was a major missed opportunity.
The conference NDAA also failed to adequately confront the People’s Republic of China and rejected provisions to sanction the cartels trafficking deadly fentanyl across our open Southwest border. This is dangerous. Not only that, but it also extended FISA authorities without reforms, meaning the FBI will continue to abuse its power to spy on Americans and without reforms, and go after Democrats’ political rivals.
I’m saddened that the Pentagon has been so politicized by this administration, and I will continue to fight for our troops . Our men and women in uniform, veterans, and their families deserve better.”
Rep. John Rose released the following statement:
“In what has become a typical Christmas tradition in Washington, Congress couldn’t resist its desire to attach an extremely unpopular program to a piece of must-pass legislation,” said Rep. Rose. “It’s shameful. Because of this backroom deal, Americans’ constitutional right to privacy will continue to be trampled on. Although I support several provisions in this NDAA, like the much-needed pay raise for our troops that I previously voted for back in July, I could not support this bill because of the inclusion of such an egregious and flagrant poison pill that violated our constitutional principles.”
In a press release, Sen. Marsha Blackburn stated, “Once again, I am honored to have fought for priorities in the NDAA that will bolster our nation’s security and directly benefit Tennessee’s military and research communities. As Communist China and their fellow New Axis of Evil members continue to escalate their aggression, it’s vital our military stands ready. We succeed by supporting servicemembers and their families, promoting innovative research, advancing cybersecurity, and providing our men and women in uniform with the resources they need to fight and win.”
Senator Bill Hagerty replied to our inquiries regarding his vote with the following response:
“The United States continues to face growing threats from around the world. As the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has warned Congress, “China and Russia will present a wide variety of economic, political, counterintelligence, military, and diplomatic challenges to the United States and its allies.” Moreover, rogue nations and foreign terrorist organizations pose ever-changing risks to our security, especially with their increasing ability to acquire technologies with military applications.
On July 27, 2023, the United States Senate approved the NDAA for fiscal year 2024 and I supported this legislation. Please know that as the Senate and House of Representatives continue to consider the FY24 NDAA, I will prioritize making our military more lethal to confront these threats while eliminating wasteful, duplicative, and unnecessary policies that are being pushed by far-left radicals.“
Before yesterday’s vote, Rep. Scott DesJarlais provided the following statement on the NDAA:
“As a member of the House Armed Services Committee my primary responsibility is to keep our military funded, functioning, and lethal.
I fully support the record 5.2% pay raise for our troops. It’s fortunate we were able to require merit based promotions over current DEI (Diversity Equity and Inclusion) strategy. We removed CRT (Critical Race Theory) from training. We also successfully blocked anti-Second Amendment provisions from being included in this bill.
Travel funding for abortion and sex reassignment surgery have no place in the NDAA and was not included in the House passed bill. Unfortunately, those specific prohibitions that I support – and continue to support – were not included in the final version of the bill. We will continue our fight to rid these egregious provisions in the future.”
We will continue to update this article as we receive further statements from members of the Tennessee delegation.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
We are watching our country being destroyed from within and Tennessee legislature is helping. I’m disgusted by all of them!
Time to primary these yes voters. Blackburn showed just who she takes her orders from. Military defense contractors. Not us. She is no longer the tea party candidate she claims.
Lucifer’s pharma pays her well too.
She noted NO.
she voted YES
Business as usual. The military industrial complex is the most powerful lobby in Washington and they get what they want. Token pay increases provide political cover for the implementation of abortion on demand, DEI and other abominations destroying our military capability. These politicians have no moral courage and if they initially possessed any it is soon eroded by the blatant bribery of the lobbyists. Desjarleis, Blackburn and Hagerty have lost my vote. None of this will matter when this nation is a smoking ruin after the coming civil war and thermonuclear war with Russia. Farewelll.
REMEMBER these TRASH Legislators come election day. Nothing but true CHILD abuse and destroying their lives forever. If they want to grow up and do it that’s a different matter. Time to throw out the TRASH in Washington!! 2024
Contact EVERY representative who has forgotten their oath, and make sure they know that you will work hard to get them out of office. Then find and vet new candidates. They are out there, and it is our responsibility to make it happen.
I’m confused. Blackburn and Hagerty voted “yes”, didn’t they? But the article says they voted “no”
Below, U.S. Senate webpage says they voted “Yea”. Am i missing something?
https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1181/vote_118_1_00343.htm
We just printed a correction. There was some confusion about Blackburn / Hagerty votes. In the correction for the article, links to the votes, along with screenshots from the government websites showing the votes have been included. We are posting the correction in our newsletter and on social media on Monday.
This is the problem with ALL legislation. They put in all kinds of junk that wouldn’t pass on its own. Single issue bills ONLY!
Yes – we absolutely need single-issue bills!
Republicans need to quit crossing the aisle to bolster the Dems policies. You never, ever see a Dem no matter the issue help out a Republican. The only exceptions I can think of are Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema and they were treated like dirt by their own party but they never the less remain “true” for the most part to solidarity to the Dems agenda. Another, however, there has been a couple so dismayed by the Dems agenda that they have left the party, but I do not believe that they were members of Congress.
The government was just given the combined powers of the NKVD-KGB-SS/Gestapo and STASI.
I guess the NAZIS and Italian Fascists that CIA Allen Dulles brought to the USA helped draft policies for the future of America.
Also, the same voted to never leave NATO. NATO’S first Commanders were NAZIS.
Guess they forgot to tell you that part of History.
Not surprised that Blackburn went along with this.
Sure wish y’all’d stop calling RINOs Republicans.
Remember to take OUT the Trash come 2024.
Burchett, Green, Harshbarger, Ogles and Rose all voted NAY and should stay.
Regarding Blackburn, she co-sponsored a Bill with Ct. Communist Blumenthal.
Mr. Blumenthal also lied about what he did in Viet Nam. He is up there with Hanoi Jane.
Congress always adds garbage bills to important bills. Help someone while harming others. They push their devil agendas and make it hard to help anyone. I would have had to vote no. Many military people coming in are liberals, alphabet people, and will be easily manipulated by high ranking officers and too busy fooling around and not becoming the soldiers America needs to fight a war. Men cannot have the true strength they should have. Not when they are taking hormones to try to alter the way God made them. Children do not need to be multilated eith chemicals and surgeries to remove what they were born with. Providing chemicals castration affects the mind and the body. Drugs have significant side effects. The brain is developed until 25. Leave children to be children and stop taking taxpayer money to fund garbage agendas. There are not enough working people now and the rich sure don’t pay enough taxes.
Rand Paul and a few with him have tried for MANY years get a vote for/on each item in a bill. Got WAAY too many of lucifer’s servants in DC to get something sensible done.
Leave the “Politicians along”, they are what they are and won’t change.
Same as the “People who vote for the same politicians”, year after year, election after election, decades after decade.
If you want to know what is wrong with Tennessee, and the nation, go look in the mirror.