Facts

• A new GOP report has criticized the Biden admin. for allegedly overemphasizing diversity, equity, and inclusion policies — which the report labeled as critical race theory — and gender identity in the US military. The report suggested that these policies undermine the military's ability to defend US territory and fight the country's wars abroad.
• The report was put together by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) to investigate left-leaning political ideologies in the US military and their potential negative effects on the armed forces' ability to function correctly.
• The report alleges that less than a month after his appointment as Sec. of Defense, Lloyd Austin ordered all commanding officers and supervisors to schedule a day to discuss extremism. The Biden admin. later identified fewer than 100 cases of extremism out of 2.1M active forces.
• The Dept. of Defense (DoD) has defended its policies, saying diversity, equity, and inclusion programs strengthen the military, give it a broader pool of potential troops amid an institution-wide recruiting crisis, and have no bearing on readiness to defend the nation.
• The GOP may be able to wield greater influence on DoD policies starting Jan. 3, 2022, when they assume a majority in the House of Representatives. House Republicans will be able to establish their own hearings on topics of concern, advance legislation, and platform concerns such as these.