Kevin McCarthy Struck a Deal With Marjorie Taylor Greene Ahead of NDAA Vote

Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene changed her vote on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) because she reportedly received an invitation by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to participate in the House-Senate conference committee.

The House passed the Fiscal Year 2024 defense bill on Friday in a near 219-210 party-line vote, authorizing around $86 billion for national defense programs that would go toward improving military readiness and missile defense capabilities, promoting technological innovation and countering China's influence.

Greene, of Georgia, who was expected to not support the defense bill, told reporters post-vote that McCarthy's offer caused her to rethink her vote and her position.

"In doing so, that allows me to be a voice in the room to talk about removing the money going to Ukraine; to talk about the importance that our Department of Defense's mission is to deter war and protect our nation's security," Greene said. "I'm very excited to be able to do that."

When asked by CNN's Manu Raju if McCarthy salvaged her vote, she confirmed the conference invitation was the reason "and a good opportunity." She also acknowledged that the invitation wouldn't have occurred if she had voted differently.

Newsweek has reached out to McCarthy via email for comment.

Greene filed an amendment related to Ukraine, one of six of her suggested bill markups as part of over 1,500 total amendments offered, aimed to eliminate over $300 million in Ukraine funding.

That amendment was rejected by a majority of her own Republican colleagues, as 130 voted against it. All but four Democrats, who did not vote, also rebuffed Greene's amendment.

The bill that passed the House includes an array of successful amendments that have drawn praise from conservatives and criticism from Democrats, including:

• Banning the Pentagon from reimbursing service members for abortions.
• Bans on the Pentagon paying for gender-affirming surgeries and hormone treatment.
• The elimination of certain Department of Defense diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
• Provisions blocking the Department of Defense from using educational and training materials promoting "critical race theory."
• Salary restrictions for personnel involved in promoting the military's diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
• Bans on "unapproved" flags, including Pride flags.

Michigan Democratic Representative Elissa Slotkin, a former service member, said she never expected to vote against the NDAA but in a statement conveyed her deep disagreement with the amendments included in the final version.

"The Republican majority chose culture wars over actual national security," Slotkin said. "After passing the Armed Services Committee, this bill became a wish list of extremist demands that the majority succumbed to on a party-line vote.

"Their version targets service women and attempts to take away the ability for them to even travel to another state to get an abortion; it targets LGBTQ+ active-duty soldiers and military families' children; and it attempts to do away with diversity in our officer corps even though our military has been one of the most diverse institutions in our country."

But Greene touted the actions as positive for the future of the U.S. Armed Forces, adding that her "red line" is "money to fund and fuel a war that doesn't make sense."

"I think our policy here is urging both sides to get a peace agreement, and money going to Ukraine doesn't belong in our national Department of Defense funding."

When asked if the conference invitation was the reason Greene voted for the bill, Nick Dyer, spokesperson for Greene, referred Newsweek to her previous comments to reporters.