House passes military bill with controversial amendments aimed at abortion, LGBTQ, diversity policies
12:30 REPORT TALK OF THE MORNING House passes military bill with controversial amendments on abortion, LGBTQ, diversity policies © Greg Nash / The Hill The Republican-led House has narrowly passed an annual military spending bill packed with GOP priorities that have become hot-button issues for conservatives. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which squeaked through on a 219-210 vote, typically passes with broad bipartisan support. This time, only a handful of Democrats crossed the aisle to side with the Republicans, citing the measures targeted at abortion (it would ban military aid that’s provided to members seeking to terminate a pregnancy in another state) LGBTQ people (it would ban the military from covering gender-affirming care) and diversity (it would eliminate the military’s chief diversity officer and ban some diversity initiatives). A defiant House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters after the vote: “Sorry to disappoint you … Yes, it passed.” McCarthy lambasted Democrats for voting against the bill, which also included pay raises for members of the military. “Technically it’s a bipartisan bill,” McCarthy said. It’s a big win for McCarthy and his allies who have harped on “wokeness” surrounding issues of LGBTQ and reproductive rights. It specifically affects members of the military but could be used as a blueprint for states or a campaign issue in the 2024 races. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said the bill represents a pushback against “indoctrination attempts we’ve seen inside the Pentagon.” (The Hill) What’s next: The bill now heads to the Democrat-controlled Senate. The upper chamber passed its own version of the NDAA without the controversial amendments. Now lawmakers have to hash out some kind of agreement — one that President Biden won’t veto. And they’re off: Immediately after the NDAA vote, most House members left D.C. to start the weekend. Go deeper: Check out these stories from The Hill on the warning Democrats sent to GOP leaders and the GOP’s game plan prior to the vote.
After the vote: Click here to see how lawmakers voted. It’s Friday, July 14. I’m Elizabeth Crisp with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. 🔴 In Congress Arizona Rep. faces backlash over ‘colored people’ remark: © Workaholics / GIPHY As Republicans debated the NDAA into the evening Thursday, freshman Republican Rep. Eli Craine — speaking on the House floor — made a major faux pas: He referred to Black people as “colored people,” an outdated and offensive term. Craine has since apologized and said he “misspoke,” but he has drawn widespread rebuke, including his colleagues. Here’s what Crane said: “My amendment has nothing to do with whether or not colored people, or Black people, or anyone can serve, OK? It has nothing to do with [the] color of your skin, any of that stuff. What we want to preserve and maintain is the fact that our military does not become a social experiment.” Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) immediately called him out on it and later tweeted: “I am still in utter shock and disbelief that a Republican uttered the words ‘colored people’ in reference to African-American service members who sacrifice their lives for our freedom. I will not tolerate such racist and repugnant words in the House Chamber or anywhere in the Congress. That’s why I asked that those words be stricken from the record, which was done so by unanimous consent.” FALLOUT: Despite the offensiveness of the phrase and Crane’s apology for his words, some well-known conservative pundits and others have rushed to his defense. GOP mulls a different attack strategy as economy improves: Republican lawmakers have focused nearly all their anti-Biden attention on inflation and the economy. Now economic reports are showing that inflation is dropping, and the anticipated recession hasn’t happened. That’s left many in the GOP to reconsider where they should focus their attacks on the president and the Democratic Party. “I think it will diminish as an issue over the course of the year if inflation continues to stay down and continues to go down,” Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) told The Hill. What they are thinking: Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) told The Hill that Republicans can make other arguments in their favor. “Democratic governance has been a disaster” he said, noting, “we’re still encountering 6,000, 7,000, 8,000 at the border,” crime rates and the deadly fentanyl crisis. (The Hill) 🎓 In the White House Giving it another try: Biden administration directs $39B to student debt relief © GIPHY News The Biden administration plans to dedicate $39 billion to student debt relief for thousands of borrowers after the Supreme Court shot down the president’s larger student loan forgiveness plan late last month. The relief is centered around income-based repayment plans — when the federal government cancels remaining a borrowers debt after they have made their payments for 20 or 25 years. The Biden administration explains it this way: The effort will change how the federal government counts monthly payments that qualify. It will notify eligible borrowers in the upcoming days. Background: President Biden pushed a plan to give $10,000 in student debt relief to low- and middle-income borrowers and up to $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients. But the Supreme Court nixed that in a 6-3 decision last month, noting Congressional action would be needed and not just a White House decree. That won’t happen in a GOP-controlled House and a Senate that has a razor-thin Democratic majority. Biden has said he would look for workarounds despite that ruling. He is now leaning on the Higher Education Act, but it is likely to still be tested in the courts. When will it happen?: The administration must allow time for public comment on the plan before it can go into effect. That, coupled with the likelihood of legal challenges, make the timeline a little murky. From the Veep: “Our Administration will continue to fight to make sure Americans can access high-quality postsecondary education without taking on the burden of unmanageable student loan debt,” Vice President Harris said in a statement. (The Hill) 🏃 2024 DeSantis’s floundering campaign faces its fate in upcoming debate: © GIPHY News Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has a big test ahead of him as he seeks the GOP 2024 presidential nomination, with the first GOP debate next month. The Hill’s Julia Manchester reports: “The debate stands to be a critical test for DeSantis, who has faced criticism for his sometimes-stilted style, as well as his failure to connect with voters and reluctance to directly attack his opponentsa.” DeSantis has been struggling to break out in the crowded field, overshadowed by former President Trump. DeSantis is expected to take part in the Milwaukee debate Aug. 23, though Trump has signaled he may skip it. “The debate is more important for Ron DeSantis than any of the other candidates,” Republican strategist Alex Conant told The Hill. Conant is a former campaign aide to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) during his failed 2016 presidential bid. “[DeSantis is] the candidate with the most questions swirling about him,” Conant said. “He is second in the polls, which as I know from my experience with Rubio, it’s often the hardest position to be in. He’s going to be taking it from Trump and every other candidate on the stage.” About that debate: Under the Republican National Committee’s rules, candidates must have at least 40,000 donors — with at least 200 from 20 distinct states. They’ll also have to tracked at least 1 percent in three qualifying polls. AND the big test: They have to commit to supporting the eventual GOP nominee. Trump currently leads DeSantis 52.6 percent to 21 percent, in the Real Clear Politics polling average tracker. How DeSantis got here: The governor has struggled with keeping his campaign on track — from his glitchy Twitter rollout to viral videos of awkward interactions on the campaign trail, and more recently, a controversial video attacking Trump over his support of LGBTQ people. When asked about it Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the first openly gay Cabinet member to be confirmed by the Senate, had a blistering response that went viral: “I’m going to leave aside the strangeness of trying to prove your manhood by putting up a video that splices images of you in between oiled-up, shirtless bodybuilders.” What DeSantis’ allies are saying: The governor’s supporters say his sagging poll results are merely his lack of national name recognition. They’re hoping the debate will be the perfect stage to introduce him to more voters and help build support. (The Hill) 🚨 In Other News Suspect arrested in Long Island serial killer case: A suspect in the decade-old Gilgo Beach serial killer case on Long Island, N.Y., is in custody, a senior law enforcement source has told Nexstar’s New York-based WPIX. The suspect’s name was not immediately released, but the accused killer is in his 50s or 60s, the police source said. The suspect is expected to be transported to Riverhead Criminal Court later today. Background: The remains of at least 10 people were discovered near Gilgo Beach between December 2010 and April 2011. It has long sparked concerns about a serial killer being on the loose, and authorities have suspected the murders could date as far back back to 1996. (WPIX via The Hill) Another Biden vs. Trump battle is brewing: Hunter Biden‘s lawyer has sent a cease-and-desist letter to former President Trump’s legal team, arguing that Trump’s repeated attacks on Hunter Biden have put his family in danger. In the letter sent this week, lawyer Abbe Lowell argues to Trump’s attorneys that the former president’s social media takes on Hunter Biden and in other channels could lead to the “injury” the Biden family. Trump has repeatedly criticized President Biden’s son since the heat of the 2020 presidential campaign, spreading accusations against him. Trump’s been accused of stirring violence toward his Democratic rivals, including the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and the assault of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi‘s husband Paul Pelosi. “This is not a false alarm. We are just one such social media message away from another incident, and you should make clear to Mr. Trump — if you have not done so already — that Mr. Trump’s words have caused harm in the past and threaten to do so again if he does not stop,” Lowell said. (The Hill) The Hill’s Fight Against Alzheimer’s event in DC
Tuesday, July 18, 8:30 a.m. ET | Sign up here National Press Club and streaming online nationally The Hill will bring together caregivers, patients, clinical experts and lawmakers to discuss the fight against Alzheimer’s and breakthroughs in providing relief to those who suffer from agitation and aggression. Speakers include: Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), chair, Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health; Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), lead co-sponsor, CHANGE Act; Sue Peschin, president & CEO, Alliance for Aging Research; Jen Pettis, director of strategic alliances, The Gerontological Society of America; Jackie Pinkowitz, co-founder, Dementia Action Alliance; Chad Worz, executive director, American Society of Consultant Pharmacists; and Carrie Shaw, Alzheimer’s caregiver. REGISTER NOW 🐥 Notable Tweets The Twitter curse: Washington Post tech reporter Taylor Lorenz — no stranger to controversy or online harassment — was trending again on Twitter today after she reported on Twitter paying influencers for their content (Twitter CEO Elon Musk, no less, went after her), but she seemed to take it in stride. “This app will never let me know peace,” she tweeted along a screenshot of her name among the top trending Twitter subjects. Dem lawmaker, veteran argues against GOP military positions: “As someone who has worn the uniform, became a mom in uniform, and has a uterus — unlike many who are opining on this subject — I’m furious. We will keep fighting back,” Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Penn.) tweeted as the House debated an amendment that would restrict abortion access for people in the military. ⏱ On Tap The House came in at 9 a.m. to continue debate on the National Defense Authorization Act, and the Senate is gone for the weekend. President Biden is back in D.C. (briefly) after his overseas trip, and Vice President Harris is heading to Baltimore to talk about climate efforts. Morning: House Appropriations subcommittees met for mark-ups. 10 a.m.: President Biden got the Presidential Daily Briefing. 1:30 p.m.: The president and first lady head out to Camp David for the weekend. All times Eastern. Are you on Threads? See which candidates have created accounts on Meta’s new platform and join the conversation with The Hill here.
🧵 Are you on Threads? See which candidates have created accounts on Meta’s new platform and join the conversation with The Hill here.
🇫🇷 In Lighter News © GIPHY / Storyful It’s Bastille Day! (Fête Nationale Française, if you’re fancy) It marks the events that sparked the French Revolution in 1789 and the toppling of the French monarchy. There will be military parades and, much like Independence Day here in the U.S., lots of fireworks. If you know someone French be sure to wish them “Vive le 14 juillet!” If not, you can still grab some French wine (or champagne) and cheese and kick off the weekend in style! It is also National Mac and Cheese Day (love it) and National Nude Day (uhhh…maybe just keep that celebration at your house). And because you made it this far, watch this red panda who is just keeping it cool and beating the heat. Stay Engaged Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to ecrisp@thehill.com. A friend forward this to you? Subscribe here. View past issues of 12:30 Report here and check out other newsletters from The Hill here. See you next time!
Source: The Hill
