House Passes Defense Bill With Anti-Trans Provision

The Washington Post reports:

The House on Wednesday passed an $895.2 billion defense policy bill, after Democrats blasted the inclusion of a provision — pushed at the 11th hour by Speaker Mike Johnson — to prohibit the military’s health-care system from providing specialized treatments to the transgender children of U.S. service members. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed 281 to 140, with fewer than half of the chamber’s Democrats voting in favor of what is typically a bipartisan piece of legislation.

The NDAA sets Pentagon and U.S. national security policy for the year ahead, and Republicans and Democrats alike lauded the bill’s 14.5 percent pay increase for junior enlisted troops, along with its authorization for spending increases on military “quality of life” issues, like housing and child care, and its expanded emphasis on new military technologies and strengthening U.S. defenses against China.

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281-140: House passed the final version of the 2025 defense programs and policy bill. 81 Democrats voted Yes and 16 Republicans voted No. NDAA now heads to the Senate. pic.twitter.com/NNfRRM9mua

— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) December 11, 2024