Defense Secretary Loyd Austin testified before the Senate Armed Services committee on Thursday regarding 2022 military budget requests. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) brought the heat and grilled Austin on critical race theory and other “diversity and inclusion” initiatives.
“Mr. Secretary, do you believe that race and sex should be key factors when selecting combat leaders? Rather than, say, operational excellence, technical efficiency, leadership, agility and integrity,” Cotton pressed.
Austin said that he does not support such diversity boxes to be the primary factors of leadership selection, but maintained that race and sex should be “key factors” still.
I’m glad Secretary Austin agrees—Critical Race Theory has no place in our military. pic.twitter.com/Xk1ELnHBPF
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) June 10, 2021
Meanwhile, House Republican Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL), an Army Green Beret, is leading the effort to ban critical race theory at West Point.
On the battlefield, skin color doesn't matter. All that matters is merit & mission.
— Rep. Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) June 10, 2021
Critical Race Theory’s antithetical to the unity needed for service to our country & that's why I'm getting to the bottom of why it's being taught to our future leaders at our military academies. https://t.co/JIbMXWjmBM
MISSION: Stop the Left & keep ‘wokeness’ OUT of our military.
— Rep. Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) June 10, 2021
Camouflage is the only color our enemy’s bullets care about, not the color of our skin. The Left teaching our cadets divisive & destructive critical race theory must be stopped. pic.twitter.com/0lZCjhVZm2