Marco Rubio, Rick Scott warn DoD against targeting extremism based on ideology

Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin expressing concern about the U.S. service members who are being targeted by the Countering Extremism Working Group (CEWG), on Wednesday.

Austin previously established the CEWG to address extremism across the Department of Defense in February. The immediate actions of the group included updating the definition of extremism, updating service member transition checklists to report potential contact with extremist groups, and updating screening questionnaires.

The CEWG is targeting members of the military on ideological grounds, claimed the senators. “In today’s society, the definition of ‘extremist’ is skewed to the person creating the definition,” the Senators wrote.

Both Senators requested answers to the following questions:

• What type of intelligence collection will the DoD create to monitor these activities and initiatives, and who will monitor them?
• What is your plan to protect service members’ fourth amendment right to due process under the Constitution?
• What safeguards are in place to ensure the CEWG will not have a chilling effect on service members’ willingness to engage in protected political speech?
• How many extremists has the DoD found within its ranks from January 2011 to November 2021?

“In the wake of the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts to silence parents protesting anti-American racial indoctrination being taught in schools across the country, we are deeply concerned that this latest effort by the Biden Administration will target service members who voice opposition to woke, Leftist ideology under the guise of protecting our “national security interest,” the letter said.

Senators Thom Tillis, Kevin Cramer, Mike Braun, Josh Hawley, Tom Cotton, John Boozman, Roger Marshall, Steve Daines, James Lankford, and Mike Lee also signed the letter. 

“Service members represent a cross-section of the country they faithfully serve and hold beliefs and opinions as diverse as America itself. These patriotic men and women come from all backgrounds, ethnicities, and beliefs. Our military leaders should be honoring the diversity among our armed forces, not divide us by forcing false narratives that solely serve to alienate our fellow Americans based on the color of their skin.”

“The DoD should focus on real threats that pose a clear and present danger to our nation – not those who refuse to bow to the woke orthodoxy pushed by Liberal elites in the mainstream media, academia, and government.”