POLITICIZE DEFENSE? NEVER! There has been a highly political battle on Capitol Hill — actually, that’s the only kind of battle they have on Capitol Hill — over defense policy and spending. The fight has been on two fronts: 1) passage of the yearly National Defense Authorization Act, which sets military spending levels, and 2) a Republican senator’s decision to block Senate confirmation of military promotions until the Biden Pentagon changes its policy on abortion.

For the last week, Democrats have been accusing Republicans of “politicizing” what should be the nonpolitical issue of defending the United States against foreign attack. GOP lawmakers have questioned the need for Pentagon policies for transgender soldiers, for example, and for various types of diversity programs. Some have also focused on overturning a Biden policy in which the Pentagon will pay the expenses of servicewomen who, in this post-Roe world, travel to receive an abortion.