Retired general denounces Republican support for troops

As the Republican Party remains divided over efforts to fund the government in the next fiscal year, retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling is questioning the Republicans’ traditional assertion as pro-military political party.

Five Republican lawmakers interrupted voting on their own party’s bill on Tuesday, joining all House Democrats to pass legislation that would fund the Department of Defense (DoD). The appropriations bill is the first in a series of bills the House must pass by the end of September to avoid a government shutdown.

Among those who opposed the bill were some of the House’s most conservative members, such as North Carolina Rep. Dan Bishop, who wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that he rejected the measure because Congress had not “proposed twelve spending appropriations bills.” agreed in January. » Some moderate Republicans, who are consistent supporters of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, condemned their fellow Republicans for killing the bill.

“Between calling the military ‘woke,’ claiming Russian soldiers are tougher than ours, blocking over 300 general officer promotions, and failing to provide a budget for the Department of Defense “It’s hard to hear those who say they ‘support the troops,'” Hertling said. written the.

The former commander of the US Army in Europe has repeatedly criticized conservative members of the Republican Party who attack the armed forces because they are influenced by “woke” Democratic policies. In February, Hertling said he was “disgusted” by the Republican-backed “Ukraine Fatigue” bill, which would formally call for an end to U.S. military aid to Ukraine. Most recently, the former general said Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville was “despicable” for his continued protest against Department of Defense policies on abortion access, a stance that has prevented more than 300 military promotions to be confirmed by the Senate.

The Republican Party remains divided on a number of issues, including support for Ukraine, with leaders like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump saying that helping Kiev in its fight against Russia is not not of vital interest to the United States.

Infighting within the party has turned into a significant obstacle for McCarthy, with some on the far right, like Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, calling for the president’s ouster for not being conservative enough. McCarthy told CNN’s Manu Raju on Tuesday, in light of recent threats, “I’m not going to stop.” Conservatives have also gone back and forth over what demands they want included in the resolution to avoid a government shutdown.

News week contacted McCarthy’s office Tuesday evening via email for comment.