Congressman Brown Highlights Need For Action On Extremism In The Military

Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman Anthony G. Brown (MD-04), a 30-year Army veteran and senior Black member on the House Armed Services Committee, participated in a full committee hearing on "Extremism in the Armed Forces." Nearly 1 in 5 people charged over their alleged involvement in the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol appear to have a military history.

During the hearing, Congressman Brown questioned experts on how the military should handle membership of servicemembers in extremist organizations and the extent to which the military and Congress can act to ensure readiness and order are maintained within the ranks.

"Extremism and white supremacy have no place in the ranks of our military. Servicemembers take an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Violent extremism and hate groups run counter to that oath and pose a threat to our national security," said Congressman Anthony Brown. "As we continue to make progress to foster a diverse and inclusive armed forces, we know that tackling extremism must also be a priority."

Congressman Brown passed into law several initiatives to combat extremism within the ranks, including:

The Department of Defense Anti-Semitism and Racism Awareness Act of 2020, after being partially included in the FY2020 NDAA, the law now explicitly requires the workplace and equal opportunity and workplace and gender relations surveys to include experiences with supremacist activity, extremist activity, anti-Semitism or racism. According to a Military Times poll, 53 percent of minority service members said they had seen examples of white nationalism or racism among their fellow troops

Significant diversity and inclusion provisions needed to diversify leadership, elite units academy nominations and more.

Beginning the removal of names on Military property honoring the Confederacy through a bipartisan provision based on H.R.7155 requiring the Department of Defense to remove names, symbols, displays, monuments, and paraphernalia commemorating leaders of the Confederacy. The language additionally establishes an independent commission to provide recommendations on the renaming process, assessing and listing commemorations of the Confederacy, and incorporating local sensitivities. The process for these actions should not exceed three years.

Rep. Brown cosponsored an amendment by Rep. Speier which codifies the military's existing non-discrimination standards and requires that all service members be afforded equal opportunity in an environment free from harassment, including sexual harassment, and unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity), or sexual orientation.

Source