US Home Republicans have voiced their frustration over the nation’s latest army struggles by passing an modification that requires lowering Secretary of Protection Lloyd Austin’s wage to lower than $1 a yr.
The modification to the Pentagon appropriations invoice, which might slash Austin’s pay from his present charge of greater than $221,000 yearly, was handed by the Home on Wednesday. The measure gained’t doubtless be enacted – provided that the invoice additionally should get by the Democrat-controlled Senate and be signed by President Joe Biden – however not less than symbolically, it marks one other Republican rebuke of the nation’s present army management.
“Many Individuals agree: We don’t need the US’ army led by failure, inflicting us to be weak,” mentioned Consultant Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), who launched the modification. She later posted a press release hailing the measure’s passage, saying, “Below his failed management, our army is being destroyed, and he doesn’t need to serve any longer.”
Greene and different Republicans cited a collection of alleged Pentagon blunders in recent times, together with the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, recruiting shortfalls, and a Covid-19 vaccination mandate that was rescinded amid a authorized problem.
Wednesday’s modification marked the primary time since Biden took workplace in January 2021 that lawmakers have used the Holman rule in opposition to a member of his administration. The ploy, first applied in 1876, permits amendments to spending payments to scale back the pay of particular staff, fireplace them or reduce authorities packages. Such amendments require that not one of the spending accredited within the laws be used to pay the desired worker – or fund the focused program – in extra of the quantity stipulated by Home members.
Consultant Betty McCollumn (D-Minnesota) argued that Austin didn’t need to be punished due to partisan conflicts. “You could disagree with the administration’s insurance policies, as all of us have carried out over time with totally different administrations, however Secretary Austin has carried out nothing to advantage this,” she mentioned. “There’s no want for us to make such a private, drastic assault by eliminating his pay.”
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