Pentagon requests $114 million for 'Diversity, Equity and Inclusion' programs

The Defense Department is requesting roughly $114 million for "diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility" programs in fiscal 2024. 

The agency wrote in its Strategic Management Plan the proposed spending "demonstrates the DoD’s commitment to DEIA" and includes $114.7 million for "dedicated diversity and inclusion activities," according to Fox News. 

The DOD wrote in its budget request that it wants to foster a "climate of inclusion that supports diversity, is free from problematic behaviors, and does not tolerate retaliation or reprisal against those filing complaints."

This request has resulted in pushback from conservative lawmakers, with some pointing out that the Pentagon has already failed numerous audits.

"Last week, the Pentagon failed its 6th consecutive audit," the GOP Oversight Committee wrote on the social media platform X. "This week, they requested $114 million for DEI. The Biden Admin’s focus on progressivism over warfighting continues to exacerbate the military recruiting crisis and calls into question our level of military preparedness."

Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene also slammed the initiative.

"The Pentagon has no idea where the hell all the taxpayer money that has been funding it went for the past 6 years, but they have the audacity to ask for more funding for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs?" Greene wrote on X. "Does Joe Biden want the military to be a lethal fighting force or a clown show??"