What This Bill Does
This bill prohibits the United States Armed Forces and schools run by the Department of Defense from promoting certain theories about race and America. The bill identifies six specific theories it bans from being promoted in military settings and defines what "promoting" means in this context.
Who It Affects
The United States Armed Forces, academic institutions operated or controlled by the Department of Defense, and members of the Armed Forces.
Key Provisions
• The Armed Forces and Department of Defense schools cannot promote theories stating that any race is inherently superior or inferior to another race (Sec. 3(a)(1)).
• The Armed Forces and Department of Defense schools cannot promote theories stating that the United States is a fundamentally racist country or that the Declaration of Independence or Constitution are fundamentally racist documents (Sec. 3(a)(2-3)).
• "Promoting" includes including these theories in classes, seminars, workshops, trainings or hiring speakers to advocate for these theories in a way that appears to have official military approval (Sec. 3(b)(1-2)).
• "Promoting" includes forcing members of the Armed Forces to agree with these theories or separating members by race in educational and training sessions (Sec. 3(b)(3-4)).
• The bill does not restrict protected free speech, prevent people from accessing these materials for research, or prevent teaching these theories as examples of what the military does not endorse (Sec. 3(c)(1-3)).
What Changes
If this becomes law, the Armed Forces and Department of Defense schools must stop promoting the six identified theories about race and American founding documents. Military members cannot be required to affirm belief in these theories, and military members cannot be separated by race in training settings.
Important Definitions
The bill defines "promote" as including these four actions: (1) including theories or materials advocating them in curriculum or training in a way that appears officially approved, (2) hiring speakers or consultants to advocate for these theories, (3) forcing military members to agree with these theories, and (4) separating military members by race in any setting (Sec. 3(b)).
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1228
To prohibit the United States Armed Forces from promoting anti-American
and racist theories.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 28, 2023
Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina (for himself, Mr. LATURNER, Mr. GUEST, Mr.
LAMBORN, Mr. BUCK, Mr. PERRY, Mr. ELLZEY, Mr. JOYCE of Pennsyl-
vania, Mr. MASSIE, Mrs. LESKO, Mr. BOST, Mr. GROTHMAN, Mr.
STEUBE, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. DAVIDSON, Mr. BURLISON, Mrs. BOEBERT,
Mr. CLINE, Mr. JOHNSON of Louisiana, Mr. MOOLENAAR, Mr. GOOD of
Virginia, Mr. ROSENDALE, Mrs. LUNA, Ms. HAGEMAN, Ms. TENNEY, Mr.
BRECHEEN, Mr. OGLES, Mr. MCCLINTOCK, Mr. ROY, Mr. ARRINGTON,
Mr. CARL, Mrs. MILLER of Illinois, and Mr. HUDSON) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
A BILL
To prohibit the United States Armed Forces from promoting
anti-American and racist theories.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Combating Racist
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Training in the Military Act of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
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Congress makes the following findings:
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•HR 1228 IH
(1) The founding principles of the United
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States include the belief, enshrined in the Declara-
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tion of Independence, that ‘‘all men are created
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equal’’ and ‘‘are endowed by their Creator with cer-
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tain unalienable Rights’’.
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(2) The United States commitment to the equal
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dignity and natural rights of all mankind is the
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strongest possible defense against racism and op-
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pression of all kinds.
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(3) The mission of the United States Armed
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Forces is to ‘‘support and defend the Constitution of
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the United States against all enemies, foreign and
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domestic’’ and ‘‘bear true faith and allegiance to the
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same’’.
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(4) To carry out this mission, the Armed
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Forces must train leaders who love the United
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States, its citizens, and the aforementioned founding
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principles.
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(5) Anti-American and racist theories, such as
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‘‘Critical Race Theory’’, teach that the United
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States is a fundamentally racist Nation, that the
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Constitution is a fundamentally racist document,
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and that certain races are fundamentally oppressive
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or oppressed.
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•HR 1228 IH
(6) Such theories encourage people to judge
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and treat others differently on the basis of their
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race, rather than treating them as equal citizens and
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human beings with equal dignity and protection
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under the law.
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(7) Anti-American and racist theories, such as
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Critical Race Theory, teach students to distrust and
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even hate their country and fellow citizens.
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(8) The United States Armed Forces should not
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promote or otherwise encourage anti-American and
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racist theories that demoralize and divide its mem-
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bers while undermining its mission to ‘‘bear truth
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faith and allegiance’’ to the Constitution.
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SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON PROMOTION OF ANTI-AMERICAN
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AND RACIST THEORIES.
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(a) IN GENERAL.—The United States Armed Forces
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and academic institutions operated or controlled by the
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Department of Defense shall not promote the following
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anti-American and racist theories:
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(1) Any race is inherently superior or inferior
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to any other race.
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(2) The United States of America is a fun-
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damentally racist country.
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•HR 1228 IH
(3) The Declaration of Independence or the
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United States Constitution are fundamentally racist
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documents.
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(4) An individual’s moral character or worth is
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determined by his or her race.
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(5) An individual, by virtue of his or her race,
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is inherently racist or oppressive, whether con-
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sciously or unconsciously.
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(6) An individual, because of his or her race,
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bears responsibility for the actions committed by
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other members of his or her race.
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(b) PROMOTE DEFINED.—In this section, the term
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‘‘promote’’ means the following:
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(1) Including theories described under sub-
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section (a) or materials that advocate such theories
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in curricula, reading lists, seminars, workshops,
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trainings, or other educational or professional set-
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tings in a manner that could reasonably give rise to
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the appearance of official sponsorship, approval, or
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endorsement.
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(2) Contracting with, hiring, or otherwise en-
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gaging speakers, consultants, diversity trainers, and
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other persons for the purpose of advocating theories
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described under subsection (a).
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•HR 1228 IH
(3) Compelling members of the Armed Forces
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to affirm or profess belief in theories described
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under subsection (a).
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(4) Segregating members of the Armed Forces
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or other individuals by race in any setting, including
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educational and training sessions.
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(c) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.—
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(1) PROTECTED SPEECH NOT RESTRICTED.—
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Nothing in this section shall be construed to restrict
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the protected speech of members of the Armed
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Forces or any individual.
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(2) ACCESS TO MATERIALS FOR THE PURPOSE
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OF RESEARCH OR INDEPENDENT STUDY.—Nothing
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in this section shall be construed to prevent individ-
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uals from accessing materials that advocate theories
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described under subsection (a) for the purpose of re-
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search or independent study.
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(3) CONTEXTUAL EDUCATION.—Nothing in this
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section shall be construed to prevent the United
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States Armed Forces and academic institutions op-
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erated or controlled by the Department of Defense
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from stating theories described under subsection (a)
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or assigning materials that advocate such theories
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for educational purposes in contexts that make clear
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the United States Armed Forces and Department of
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•HR 1228 IH
Defense does not sponsor, approve, or endorse such
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theories or works.
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Æ
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