House GOP advances Trump's 'Department of War' name change, blocks DEI

During a marathon markup session, the Republican majority on the appropriations panel rejected several Democratic proposals. These included amendments aimed at blocking the deployment of the National Guard to Washington, D.C., limiting troop withdrawals from Europe, requiring Hegseth to justify withholding promotions for senior officers, and reducing funding for a 'Trump-class battleship.'

The broader amendment package approved by Republicans also includes provisions to block funds for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, as well as for gender-affirming surgeries and hormone therapies for transgender individuals. Additionally, it prohibits funding for a previous Biden-era policy that reimbursed troops for travel expenses incurred to obtain abortions, a policy that had already been rescinded by the Trump administration.

Democrats expressed strong disapproval of these additions. Representative McCollum criticized the move, stating that enacting all the provisions in the amendment would lead to 'wasting precious time with negotiating over positions that will not be [en]acted into law.' Democrats had previously acknowledged some GOP appropriators for attempting to avoid contentious social policy riders, but this package appears to have changed that approach.