Some lawmakers say the military should not be a way to talk about identity or diversity. The counter argument is that discussions like this are integral to service members feeling included and able to do their jobs. Even if you do have some grumbling amongst moderates, you don't have a lot ultimately voting against them. You have the party pretty aligned at the end of the day.
The defense bill is the latest piece of legislation to be weaponized by the far-right Freedom Caucus. It’s also the latest test for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
This episode was produced by Miles Bryan and Jon Ehrens, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard with help from Serena Solin, engineered by Patrick Boyd with help from Michael Raphael, and hosted by Noel King.
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