This week, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduced a proposal “to ban taxpayer-funded travel to Pride events and sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin regarding the DoD’s misguided priorities.”
Rubio’s office offered some of the reasons why he introduced the “Banning Overspending On Non-Defense Objectives at Gratuitous Gatherings and Learning Events (BOONDOGGLE) Act.” The bill “would ensure that travel and transportation allowances are provided to service members for professional development training only if such training relates to the military occupational specialty of the member” and “bans allowances for events related to the sexual orientation of the member, or that promote the sex, race, or religion of the member as superior or inferior to another sex, race, or religion.”
“The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has been using taxpayer dollars to fly service members to Pride events in Washington, D.C. This is a gross misuse of taxpayer money, as these events have no relation to military training or defense. The DoD’s limited budget should only be used to ensure that the U.S. military is the most lethal fighting force in the history of the world, not to celebrate the Left’s new civic religion,” Rubio’s office insisted.
“The U.S. military is the top fighting force in the world, and the DoD’s purpose is to ensure it stays that way. Flying service members to Pride events is an insane use of taxpayer money. My colleagues and I are demanding answers on behalf of the American people and introducing legislation to guarantee this doesn’t happen again,” said Rubio.
Three Senate Republicans–Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Ted Cruz of Texas–are co-sponsoring the bill.
“Offering free vacations to Democratic political events is in no way a part of the military’s mission. The Biden administration should use its defense dollars to strengthen America and prepare our troops for war, not subsidize trips to political rallies,” said Cotton.
The four senators were joined by U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., in writing Austin on the matter this week.
The bill was sent to the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, though with the chamber under Democratic control, it is not expected to gain much traction. So far, there is no companion measure over in the U.S. House.
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