Rep. Barry Moore opposes defense policy bill that weakens our military and punishes servicemembers

Press Release

Rep. Barry Moore (AL-02) issued the following statement after voting against the House's version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2023. The NDAA is intended to set policy for our nation's defense, but this year's bill would harm our national defense by allowing the Biden Administration's unconstitutional COVID vaccine mandate to move forward, leading to the discharge of over 60,000 soldiers despite every branch of our military struggling to meet recruitment goals. The bill also allows the continued injection of woke curricula like Critical Race Theory (CRT) teaching that our nation's enemies are not abroad but the systemic evils within our own citizens and military.

"I take no joy in voting against legislation authorizing our military programs, but I cannot in good conscience vote for a bill that cripples our military readiness and deliberately rejects actions to halt the increasingly unconcealed subjection of our military men and women to woke social experiments, reeducation, and an experimental vaccine" said Moore. "Our military's role is to protect our Constitutional rights and the American way of life from our enemies at home and abroad, and any bill that undermines those foundational pillars not only harms our national defense but dilutes what makes our nation so worthy of defending. No amount of money authorized to spend on bases or weapons programs could compensate for such dangerous policy missteps that destabilize our nation. I promised the people of my district I would not vote to fund vaccine mandates, and it is disappointing this bill not only funds the vaccine mandate but further fails our servicemembers by leaving out provisions to restore the full rank and pay of those discharged for refusing the vaccine.

"With our geopolitical opponents emboldened by Biden's haplessness on the world stage and the continued weakening of our military by leaders who prioritize the appeasement of misguided and malicious social justice warriors, we cannot stomach poisonous policies that ultimately leave us less prepared to defend America. Congress must remember that the government should serve the people, not the other way around, and the purge of patriots from our military triggered by Biden's woefully unscientific and unjustified vaccine mandate must be fought with all we have.

"It is with sadness for the future of our military and our country that I oppose this legislation, but I see no other choice. It is my hope I can support this bill when it comes up for a vote again after conferring with the Senate."

Last year, Moore voted against the first FY2022 NDAA version brought to a vote in the House by Speaker Pelosi in opposition to included provisions requiring women to register with the Selective Service, instituting red flag measures for servicemembers, promoting Critical Race Theory education to servicemembers, and requiring military members, even those with natural immunity, refusing a COVID vaccination to be discharged dishonorably. After Moore and other conservatives stood against this legislation, the final version, which Moore supported and which was passed into law, removed these troubling provisions.

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