Press Releases

Today, in response to the passage of the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, Anti-Woke Caucus Chairman Jim Banks released the following statement:

Said Chairman Banks: “We saw today that the open amendment process gives anti-woke legislators the chance to defund and eliminate radical-far left programs in the federal government. This year’s NDAA is the most conservative I’ve seen since I got to Congress, and members of the Anti-Woke Caucus played a leading role in that victory. I hope conservatives in the House learn from today’s vote and use our leverage during the upcoming appropriations process to defund wokeness in every federal agency.”  

The following anti-woke amendments from Chairman Banks were in included in the FY24 NDAA:  

• Rep. Banks’ DEI Pay Cap amendment prohibits the Secretary of Defense from appointing or employing a military or civilian employee whose duties include diversity, equity, and inclusion with a rank or grade in excess of GS-10.
• Rep. Banks’ Merit-Based Personnel amendment  requires DOD to issue policy that all military accessions, assignments, selections, or promotions must adhere to merit-based principles and prohibits numerical quotas in applicant pools.

• Rep. Banks’ Navy Digital Ambassador amendment suspends the Navy Digital Ambassador Program, which used drag queen videos in its recruitment efforts.

• Rep. Banks’ Service Restoration amendment prohibits DOD from taking adverse action against troops based solely on their refusal to receive Covid-19 vaccines and lets soldiers discharged for vaccine refusal reenter the service as if they had just taken leave for study.
• Rep. Banks’ Board of Corrections amendment direct DOD’s Boards of Correction to grant requests from unvaccinated, discharged servicemembers discharged to change their reason for discharge and re-entry codes.
• Rep. Banks’ Covid Reinstatement Process amendment requires DOD to set up a reinstatement process for troops discharged for COVID vaccine refusal at their prior rate/grade and requires DOD to contact every member discharged due to Covid for possible reinstatement.
• Rep. Banks’ Expanding Covid Protections and Reinstatement to the Coast Guard amendment amends provisions in Rep. Banks’ three above amendments related to servicemembers who refused COVID vaccination to also include members of the Coast Guard.
• Rep. Banks’ EV Infrastructure Availability Determination amendment blocks major DOD contracts for electric non-tactical vehicles until the Pentagon can certify that there is sufficient charging infrastructure in combat zones to not harm military effectiveness.
• Rep. Banks’ Service Academy Racial Discrimination Prohibition amendment prohibits racial discrimination and quotas in service academy admissions.
• On Wednesday, July 19^th, the Military Personnel Subcommittee, which Rep. Banks chairs, will hold a hearing on “Admissions, Curriculum, and Diversity of Thought at the Military Service Academies.”