Senate Passes $895B Defense Bill Despite Transgender Care Controversy

Senate passed the $895 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in an 85-14 vote.

It now heads to Joe Biden.

The highlight of this package is that it includes a ban on ‘transgender care’ for service members’ children.

Democrats aren’t too happy about this.

To no one’s surprise, Elizabeth Warren was one who opposed it.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer admitted the bill isn’t perfect but he’s still happy about it.

And if Schumer is happy about it, that isn’t exactly a comforting thought.

The Senate passes a defense spending package that includes a ban on coverage of gender-affirming care for the transgender children of military service members. https://t.co/AG1eXNUPjU

— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) December 18, 2024

The Hill reports:

The Senate on Wednesday voted to pass the $895 billion Defense authorization bill, despite a provision on transgender care that turned off some Democrats, moving it along to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.

Senators voted 85 to 14 in favor of passing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), well more than the 60 needed in the 100-member upper chamber. The bill advanced even with the insertion of a controversial measure that would ban some gender-affirming care for transgender children of service members.

“Today, for the 64th consecutive year, the Senate passes a bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act to protect the American people and strengthen our security,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a floor speech ahead of the vote. “The NDAA is not perfect, but it still makes several important advances Democrats fought for to secure America’s national defense and take a strong stand against the Chinese Communist Party.”

The bill, which sets Pentagon policy for the year, passed the House 281 to 140 last week.

The must-pass legislation typically passes with widespread bipartisan support, but that changed after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) inserted some last-minute language in the bill that would restrict the use of funds from TRICARE — the health care program for active-duty service members — for gender-affirming care for the children 18 years and younger of military members.

That led a handful of Democrats to vote against it, including Sens. Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Ed Markey (Mass.).

A group of 21 Democratic senators attempted to block the provision in the eleventh hour, introducing an amendment Monday that would strike Johnson’s language, but the effort failed to pass.

Read "Senate passes $895 billion defense bill as some Democrats defect over transgender fight" on SmartNews: https://t.co/KO01gcgdKx #SmartNews. Nothing "defensive" about this spending. Military spending is the biggest threat to the US. #AbolishTheSenate #FundSocialSafetyNet

— What now? 😶 (@sggomg) December 18, 2024

I sure hope the Pentagon doesn’t lose the money this time.

But that sort of thing happens.

I mean, who can keep track of $800+ billion dollars? Let alone $2.3 trillion.

On September 10th 2001 Donald Rumsfeld announced that the pentagon had lost $2.3 trillion dollars pic.twitter.com/krVDuM3b5p

— Jake Shields (@jakeshieldsajj) September 11, 2024