The Senate approved the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with a 85-14 vote, but not without controversy surrounding a provision that restricts military healthcare funding for gender transition care for children under 18 of service members.
In an 85-14 vote, the Senate passed the 1,800-page National Defense Authorization Act ( NDAA ) on Wednesday, despite a row over provisions prohibiting the use of funds for gender transition coverage for children under 18 of service members. The bill, which had cleared the House of Representatives last week, now needs President Biden's signature. Every fiscal year, Congress must pass the NDAA to authorize defense spending and specify expenditures.
This year's bill, which comes two months late, amounts to a roughly 1% increase over last year's budget. While NDAAs historically garner bipartisan support, Republicans managed to include the transgender provision that has angered Democrats. Twenty-one Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), campaigned against the provision, claiming it could impact approximately 6,000 to 7,000 children of service members. There are an estimated 10,000 transgender youth ages 6 to 22 with parents active in the military, according to the Modern Military Association of America. After the 2024 election, many Democrats privately felt that Republicans successfully attacked them on transgender issues, causing divisions within the party about how to respond. Beyond the transgender provisions, the NDAA also aims to improve conditions for service members, including a 14.5% pay raise for junior troops to boost recruitment efforts
National Defense Authorization Act NDAA Transgender Military Spending Congress
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