Two incumbent members of Congress who may have to run against each other in June’s Republican primary are at odds over the recently passed 2022 National Defense Authorization Act.
13th District Congressman Rodney Davis touted the 2022 NDAA in a statement released earlier today. Davis voted in favor of the annual authorization of military spending. He said those who voted ‘No’ for the NDAA would have “defunded the military.” The legislation passed the House by a vote of 363-70. Davis said that some House Democrats and President Joe Biden were attempting to reshape the military towards what Davis described as a “progressive worldview.” The NDAA ultimately includes a 5% increased military spending over the next year.
15th District Congresswoman Mary Miller was one of 19 Republicans voting against the bill joining Illinois Democrats Danny Davis, Chuy Garcia, and Jan Schakowsky. Noted progressive New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also voted against the bill.
Miller said in a statement this afternoon that she voted against the bill because of several provisions that she characterized as antithetical to her constituents’ beliefs including a vaccine mandate on U.S. Troops and Critical Race Theory equity training requirements. Miller also says that she voted against the bill because “no one in the Biden Administration has been held accountable for the withdrawal in Afghanistan.” Miller says she was glad that gun confiscations provisions and updates to the Selective Service program that would include women were removed in the bill’s final draft.
Miller has yet to announce whether she will run against Davis in the newly drawn 15th District next June or oppose Mike Bost in the newly drawn 12th District.