GOP Rep. Says ‘Colored People’ On House Floor During NDAA Amendment Debate

Topline

Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) received backlash from several lawmakers Thursday after saying “colored people” during an explanation of an amendment he pitched for the National Defense Authorization Act, provoking a call from Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) to have his offensive words stricken from the record.

Crane later claimed he meant to say “people of color” instead of “colored people.” (Photo by Kevin … [+] Dietsch/Getty Images)

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Key Facts

Crane said his amendment to the NDAA would have prevented “race, gender, religion, or political affiliations,” from being used in the recruitment of military members, adding the amendment had “nothing to do” with “whether colored people, or Black people, or anybody can serve.”

Crane’s use of the outdated term received a stern response from Beatty, a Black woman, who requested it be stricken from the record—adding that she found it to be “offensive and very inappropriate.”

Lawmakers chimed in on Twitter, with Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) saying, “The GOP is not even hiding the racism anymore,” and Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) adding: “You can’t make this up. This is who these people are, and who they’ve always been.”

Rep. Don Beyer also tweeted about Crane’s comment, saying, “A House Republican just referred to Black Americans serving in our military as ‘colored people.’ In 2023.”

Crane later claimed he meant to say “people of color.”

News Peg

Crane’s amendment was one of several submitted Thursday centered around culture war issues, as the House passed multiple amendments that may hinder the passage of the must-pass NDAA.

Key Background

GOP amendments regarding the funding of abortion services, diversity initiatives and gender-affirming care were approved Thursday. The House voted 221-213 to prohibit the secretary of Defense from covering expenses relating to abortion services, with two Republicans voting against and one Democrat, Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, voting for the amendment. Two amendments limiting gender-affirming services and treatments from Department of Defense programs also passed, with both receiving 222 votes in favor. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) had two of his amendments passed Thursday—both of which limited the federal government’s capability to fund diversity initiatives. One of Roy’s amendments bar funds from “being used to establish a position within the Department of Defense for anything similar to Chief Diversity Officers or Senior Advisors for Diversity and Inclusion,” passing 217-212. Some amendments failed to receive approval from the House, with five amendments intending to roll back U.S. involvement in Ukraine failing by large voting margins.

What To Watch For

Whether the bill can muster the votes needed to pass given the hard-right amendments now attached to it. “It’s going to be very hard for any Democrat and any sensible legislators to vote for it,” Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) told CNN. The Republican majority can only afford to lose four votes for the bill to pass without needing any Democratic support.

Further Viewing

JUST IN: Eli Crane Shocks Colleagues With ‘Offensive And Very Inappropriate’ Term During NDAA Debate (Forbes)

GOP Rep. Says ‘Colored People’ On House Floor During NDAA Amendment Debate—Is Immediately Admonished