The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly approved the defense spending bill for fiscal year 2025 today by a vote of 85-to-14, despite objections from some Democrats who opposed a provision that would deny gender-affirming care for children of military service members.
The Senate passed a defense bill that authorizes significant pay raises for junior enlisted service members and boosts overall military spending to $895 billion while stripping coverage of transgender medical treatments for children of military members. https://t.co/NPoGUd0vdi
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 18, 2024
From the New York Times:
Most Republicans and many Democrats supported the measure, which provides a 14.5 percent pay raise to junior enlisted service members and a 4.5 percent pay raise for all other service members.
It also expands access to meal assistance, housing and child care programs that benefit those in uniform.
But several Democrats withheld their backing in protest of a provision preventing TRICARE, the military’s health care plan for service members, from covering “medical interventions for the treatment of gender dysphoria that could result in sterilization” for children under 18.
In 2017, at least 2500 children actively sought care for gender dysphoria through TRICARE Prime insurance at military or civilian treatment facilities, and 900 received gender-affirming hormones. Back in June, House Republicans tried to ban gender-affirming care to anyone covered by TRICARE. The must-pass annual defense bill now goes to President Biden to be signed into law. LGBTQ activists are imploring the president to veto the bill, but in all honesty, I don’t see Biden vetoing a bill that gives soldiers a pay increase.
85-14: The Senate passes the $895 billion annual defense authorization bill, the NDAA, sending it to President Biden’s desk.
Some Democrats opposed the bill due to a provision that would ban gender-affirming care for children of service members. pic.twitter.com/CBLhEgaOsa
— The Recount (@therecount) December 18, 2024
BREAKING: The Senate has passed the National Defense Authorization Act WITH a provision that blocks health care for trans youth of military families. President Biden must end this cruelty and uphold his promise to protect LGBTQ+ Americans by vetoing this bill.
— Human Rights Campaign (@hrc.org) December 18, 2024 at 10:06 AM
“The anti-transgender, anti-family provision in the National Defense Authorization Act will baselessly distract service members from their missions and duty to worry about their own families, a situation the U.S. government should never impose on the troops who put their lives on the line.”
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