House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that he believes the National Defense Authorization Act will ultimately be a “bipartisan bill.”
Partial transcript as follows:
MARGARET BRENNAN: I have a lot to get to with you, but I want to start on the National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the Republican controlled House and it was- it drew a lot of attention this week because of the social policy issues attached to it. So this is a bill, it pays military personnel, does things necessary for national security. Once this goes to the Senate, they’re going to chop out all those things, you know that. It comes back to you in the House. Are you confident that Republicans can get this necessary piece of legislation through without having to turn to Democrats to help you get it over the finish line?
MCCAUL: You know, we saw the session when the Democrats had the majority, they passed a very partisan, you know, NDAA bill, went over to the Senate, you know, I’m on the conference- we did the conference committee, and traditionally the more partisan minutes get stripped out. At the end of the day, this always ends up as a bipartisan bill. But there were some- certain policies like for instance, the Hyde Amendment since 1980 not to fund taxpayer abortions our members felt was very important to put in there. I think that’s one that will survive.
BRENNAN: Well, you’re talking about the provision that would restrict funding to allow service members to travel.
MCCAUL: And pay expenses, yeah.
BRENNAN: But it doesn’t in any way, the Pentagon policy, fund abortions.
MCCAUL: Well, you know, I wish they hadn’t–
BRENNAN: Or fertility services.
MCCAUL: They actually kind of started this argument, and look, this is a process, you know. We had a lot of amendments, our members needed that vote, and I do think at the end of the day, we come together as a conference and it will be a bipartisan bill. I think there’s nothing more important than our national defense and our military. We give the largest pay raise in 20 years. We upgrade our triad system and our- our nuclear capabilities, hypersonics, a lot to counter China and particularly in Taiwan. So it’s vitally important we not politicize this bill at the end of the day, and I feel very confident we’ll have a bipartisan bill coming out.
BRENNAN: Okay. Because you did vote to eliminate the diversity offices at the Pentagon, to deny transgender troops coverage for hormone therapy, for this restriction on funding for people to get reproductive services including fertility treatments and abortions to travel. None of that you think ends up in the final bill–
[CROSSTALK]
MCCAUL: That goes against —
BRENNAN: None of those things will get Democratic votes —
MCCAUL: Goes against- since 1980 we haven’t funded anything that goes towards taxpayer, you know, abortions. I think some of the policies on culture that the- that the Defense Department has instituted has caused problems within our own military. Recruitment is at an all-time low now. After Afghanistan and then to watch these videos that these- these trained, you know, say S.E.A.L.S. have to watch, you know, injecting their own social, moral policies. Let’s make it about readiness and our ability to fight a war.
BRENNAN: Well yeah, and that’s why the Defense Secretary said, what, one in five troops are now female, and that- what he put this policy in to be able to do is for them to travel to get things that aren’t covered in the states they’re living. So should- shouldn’t all troops, regardless of where they’re stationed, get the same treatment? Like why penalize them for living in Texas versus California?
MCCAUL: Well they’re free- they’re free to travel to another state to have- to have an abortion–
BRENNAN: They would be penalized, they’d have to take time off.
MCCAUL: Just not at taxpayer expense.
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
