Voters should care about this bill because it directly addresses the principles governing how individuals are selected and advanced within the U.S. military. If this bill becomes law, it would fundamentally shift how the military evaluates its people, potentially emphasizing individual achievement and qualifications above all else in nearly every circumstance. This could be seen as ensuring fairness and preventing favoritism based on group identity.

Conversely, some might argue that prohibiting the consideration of race or ethnicity even in broader diversity initiatives could impact the military's ability to foster a diverse force that represents the diverse population it serves, or to leverage diverse perspectives for strategic advantage, particularly in a global context. The bill's passage would remove race and ethnicity as factors in most personnel decisions, potentially changing the demographic composition of various military roles over time and altering ongoing diversity and inclusion programs within the Department of Defense.