The U.S. House held a marathon voting session tonight on dozens of amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), most of them coming from Republicans hoping to get conservative policies muscled through via the must-pass bill.
The votes covered a wide array of topics, from Ukraine funding, to abortion, to gay pride flags, to the existence of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offices in the military. In many cases, New Jersey’s 12 members of the House split along party lines – but sometimes the divides were more complicated.
NDAA amendment votes
On a set of four amendments slashing funds for Ukraine in its war against Russia, 11 of New Jersey’s 12 members voted in opposition, with one consistent exception: Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis). Van Drew joined a minority of the Republican Party in supporting each of the amendments, including one that would cut all funding to Ukraine going forward.
“I believe in America First,” Van Drew told the New Jersey Globe shortly after the vote. “We have to take care of the United States… I just think that, at this point in time, we’ve really spent enough of the taxpayers’ money in Ukraine.”
Probably the most contentious vote, however, came on an amendment to bar Defense Department funds from being spent on facilitating abortion services in most cases. The proposal drew vociferous opposition from Democrats, particularly Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), who spoke on the floor against it.
“My colleagues on the other side of the aisle like to thank the troops and talk about honoring their sacrifice, and that’s all frankly empty words and broken promises if this amendment passes,” Sherrill said. “This amendment puts servicewomen and military families’ lives at risk by denying the basic right to travel for health care no longer available where they are stationed.”
Nevertheless, the amendment passed; all but two House Republicans in attendance voted for it, including New Jersey’s three Republican representatives. That’s not surprising coming from Van Drew or Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester), but Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield)’s yes vote is somewhat more notable, given that he identifies as pro-choice and is facing a tough fight for re-election in 2024.
Kean also voted in favor of several other controversial amendments, including one prohibiting the Defense Department from purchasing “pornographic and radical gender ideology books,” two restricting Defense Department funding of gender transition procedures, and a fourth banning non-approved flags from being flown by the armed forces – a fairly clear jab at LGBT pride flags.
The topic of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) positions in the Defense Department was a major subject of debate as well, with four different amendments addressing DEI. While a few House Republicans defected on the farther-reaching anti-DEI amendments, Kean, Smith, and Van Drew supported all four.
A few particularly out-there amendments were voted down without a recorded vote even being cast, instead being decided by a voice vote. One such amendment from Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pennsylvania) would have prohibited Defense Department funding from being spent on electric vehicle research and development, a notion that Rep. Donald Norcross (D-Camden) scoffed at.
“Over the past four years, every Army and every Marine Corps uniformed officer that testified before our Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee has been crystal clear: electrification of combat and tactical vehicles has tremendous operating promise and value,” Norcross said on the floor. “This is about fighting and winning. This is not a climate issue, this is about giving our war fighters the best equipment.”
Finally, perhaps the most intriguing vote of all was one on an amendment authored by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) banning the sale of cluster munitions to Ukraine. The amendment, which failed 147-276, drew substantial support from both parties; in New Jersey, its three supporters were Van Drew, Smith, and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), probably the most progressive member of the House delegation.
After several of the conservative amendments had passed the House, leading Democrats on the Armed Services Committee – among them Norcross and Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) – released a joint statement saying they would no longer vote for the NDAA in its current form.
“The bill we passed out of committee sent a clear, united message to our allies and partners, global competitors, and the American people that democracy still works, and Congress is still functional,” the Armed Services Democrats said. “That bill no longer exists. What was once an example of compromise and functioning government has become an ode to bigotry and ignorance.”
Nearly all House Democrats are likely to join them in opposition, meaning House Speaker Kevin McCarthy will have to unite nearly his entire caucus to get the new, amended version of the bill passed. That means New Jersey’s three Republicans, particularly Kean, could be a decisive vote one way or the other.
This story was updated at 8:01 a.m. with a correction: two House Republicans did in fact vote against the amendment on abortion funding.