Conservative Rep. Ralph Hall (R-Rockwall) was the only House Republican out of 20 from Texas plus one of only 43 Republican House members to vote for the controversial new $681 billion National Defense Authorization Bill which Pres. Obama signed into law Oct. 28. 

TX Republican Senators John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison also voted for the bill.

The legislation authorizes a 3.4 percent across-the-board pay raise for U.S. troops in 2010, plus increases active-duty end strength by 55,227 over current levels.

But because Congressional Democrats attached a Hate Crimes bill to the Defense act, as well, which broadens the definition of federal hate crimes to include attacks based on sexual orientation to protect gays, most Republicans chose not to support it. 

It passed 249 to 175.

House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) said the Hate Crimes legislation puts “radical social policy” on the “back of our soldiers.”

In the end, Congressman Hall said he voted for the legislation because, even though he has opposed every Hate Crimes bills extending special protection for gays in arguments during the past decade, he has never voted against our troops and never will.

“I oppose Hate Crimes legislation, and I have voted against hate crimes bills each time this has come to a vote.  I have never voted against our troops, and I never will,” he said.

Hall said Republican leaders tried to strike the Hate Crimes provision from the bill but just did not have the votes needed to do so. 

“An unfortunate provision in the Defense Authorization Act was the attachment of Hate Crimes legislation,” Hall explained. “Republican leaders attempted to strike the offending provision through a motion on the House Floor earlier this week, but did not have the votes to prevail.”

But he said his vote was for the troops, and not for extending Hate Crimes legislation to gays, who were already protected by the original Hate Crimes act first passed in 1968 making it a federal crime to target individuals because of their race, religion or national origin.

“My vote today was a vote for our troops – and it is just unfortunate that the House leadership used this vehicle to pass their partisan Hate Crimes bill.”

“We owe our men and women in uniform and their families the very best support possible – and we owe our citizens the strongest national defense possible,” Hall said.  “For those reasons, I voted in support of the authorization bill for 2010.”

According to Rep. Hall, the new Defense legislation provides more funds for additional protection for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, including funds for mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles, upgrades to Abrams tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles, plus funds for improvised explosive device jammers. 

It authorizes additional funds for equipment depleted by the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, including new combat vehicles, new battle gear for the Army National Guard and reserves, special operations forces and quality of life improvements for troops and their families. 

It also includes a provision that will facilitate military and overseas voters to register to vote and have their ballots cast and counted.

“Another important feature of this Act relates to energy security as a component of our national security,” Hall said. 

“The agreement continues funding for the Ultra-Deepwater and Unconventional Natural Gas and Other Petroleum Research program that I introduced several years ago.  This consortium of industry, government and universities is dedicated to research and development of new technologies to drill in ultra-deep areas of the Gulf of Mexico and other unconventional areas on our continent.  This program holds great promise to tap additional reserves of natural gas that can help provide energy security for decades to come.”

Under the new Hate Crimes law, judges can now impose harsher penalties on crimes that target gays because of their sexual orientation and the Justice Department can help local police departments investigate alleged hate crimes.

According to the FBI, law enforcement agencies around the country reported 7,624 hate crime incidents in 2007, the most recent year for which data was available. More than half were categorized as racially motivated, and about 17 percent were based on sexual orientation.