News photos from last week's House Republican press conference, after the chamber narrowly passed its annual defense authorization bill, showed Speaker Kevin McCarthy standing behind a lectern that displayed a sign reading "Defend our nation." It's an ironic message from a party that is currently in the process of doing exactly the opposite of that.

The defense authorization bill normally passes with overwhelming bipartisan support through both chambers of Congress, and for good reason. Not only does it provide the U.S. military with most of the massive financial resources it will need in the coming year, but it's an opportunity for Congress to demonstrate to the nation and the world that when it comes to defending America, members can set aside their partisan squabbling and ideological pet peeves and pull in one direction.

But even on this crucial issue, that kind of unity is clearly no longer possible in the House — which is ostensibly controlled by the Republican Party, but in truth is under the yoke of a radical minority of the GOP that has effectively taken McCarthy hostage. That dynamic has perhaps been demonstrated nowhere more clearly than in the incredibly irresponsible games the hostage-takers are now playing with America's defenses.

Members of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus attached amendments to the $886 billion defense authorization measure that have nothing to do with America's military readiness and everything to do with pushing culture-war buttons on abortion, race and LGBTQ rights.

One of the amendments would prohibit a Pentagon policy of providing time off and travel assistance to military personnel who seek abortion services but are stationed in states that have outlawed the procedure since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year.

This a matter of basic fairness: Since it's the military that decides where these troops are stationed, it has an obligation to ensure they can avail themselves of medical services that are still legal in more than half the country.

Other amendments would prohibit "race-based theories" from being taught in military-run schools, would ban diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the military, restrict gender-transition medical care for troops and ban drag performances associated with the military.

These issues are rare outliers within the military, generally with more context than the right-wing critics give them. As Newsweek reports, for example, the issue of drag shows arose in part because of a Department of Defense initiative that employed drag performers to reach out to young potential Navy recruits.

To the extent that any of these issues merit further debate, there are plenty of forums for that outside the omnibus funding authorization bill. But the House's radical right contingent is determined to expand the battle lines of their culture war into every aspect of governance — even into the deadly serious realm of national defense.

The House narrowly passed the ideologically larded version last week, along mostly partisan lines (with Missouri's entire GOP House contingent joining the hostage-takers). It stands no chance of passage as written in the Democrat-controlled Senate. Meaning the issue of America's defenses will become a congressional jump-ball for possibly weeks to come.

Until Americans stand up at the polls and remove these faux patriots of the right from positions of power, they will continue to hold not just McCarthy but the rest of us hostage to their own extremism. It is indeed time to "Defend our nation" — from this reckless zealotry.

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Photo credit: Michael Afonso at Unsplash