The House of Representatives passed the annual defense policy bill on Wednesday, sending the mammoth measure to the Senate for consideration ahead of Congress’ month-end deadline.
The legislation – known as National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) – cleared the chamber in a bipartisan vote of 281-140, with 200 Republicans and 81 Democrats joining forces to get the vote across the finish line. Senate Republican John Thune (SD) said he expects the package to come to market early next week.
Congressional leaders unveiled the massive $883.7 billion package over the weekend, which includes a 14.5 percent pay augment for junior military members and a 4.5 percent pay augment for all other members.
The bill passed the House despite opposition from liberal Democrats and some concerns from Republicans who objected to it Number of culture war additions that made it into the traditionally bipartisan bill.
The most controversial provision is a restriction on the apply of funds from TRICARE, the active-duty military health program, for gender-affirming care for the children of military members ages 18 and younger.
Several Democrats, led by Rep. Adam Smith (Wash.), the ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee, criticized the language. The Washington Democrat opposed the bill.
“As I said a few days ago, it is wrong to blatantly deny health care to people who need it – simply because of biased attitudes toward transgender people,” he wrote in a statement.
Smith blamed Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for including the provision, telling The Hill that he was “the one who insisted it be included in the final bill.”
Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), a House Armed Services member, said she would also oppose the NDAA for similar reasons, along with its failure to include expansions of in vitro fertilization (IVF) for military members .
“Restricting access to health care, whether it be repealing my bipartisan and bicameral rule on IVF or a ban on gender-affirming care for dependents,” she said, harms military recruitment and retention.
Despite the frustration, democratic leadership did not violate the law. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said before the vote that there were “some troubling provisions” in the NDAA but also some good priorities and that it was not telling Democrats how to vote.
Even some Republicans criticized the inclusion of the provision. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) suggested it was unnecessary to include the language in the defense bill since President-elect Trump will soon be back in the White House.
The top Republican said Johnson did not consult him on the provision.
“[Trump] will prevent all these social and cultural problems from being embedded in political measures. So my point is, I don’t know why that’s in the bill even though it’s a moot point on January 20,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
Other Republicans, including Johnson, praised the transgender provision for eliminating what they called a “woke” Pentagon bureaucracy.
It’s unclear how much opposition there will be in the Democratic-controlled Senate to a vote against the amendment.
Democrats have found it arduous to stay informed about culture war battles, and some of them, including Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, expressed concern that such issues are part of Vice President Harris’ problems could have contributed to the defeat against Trump.
It’s also not clear how challenging Republicans are willing to push for the transgender provision, given that the modern Trump administration has promised to strip the Defense Department of “woke” policies and end up with tough rules on cultural issues could be enacted.
The NDAA also contained other culture war provisions, including a requirement that the Department of Defense not create modern positions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Republicans have long attacked DEI because it distracts the U.S. military with issues related to gender identity, race and sexual orientation rather than focusing on strength.
Johnson, meanwhile, announced measures that would ban the Defense Department from working with vendors that have boycotted Israel and ban the Pentagon from contracting with advertising firms that blacklist conservative news sources.
“We are proud of this product,” Johnson said of the NDAA on Tuesday. “The safety of the American people is our top priority, and this year’s NDAA ensures our military has the resources and capabilities it needs to remain the strongest fighting force on the planet.”
The annual NDAA is a must-pass annual bill that outlines Department of Defense funding priorities. It takes place every December after Senate and House negotiators have voted on their different versions.
To fund the Pentagon for fiscal year 2025, separate defense appropriations bills must be passed.
The NDAA has been signed into law every year for the past six decades.
In addition to the culture war changes, the NDAA had taken several bipartisan measures, including efforts to strengthen the U.S. presence in the Indo-Pacific and establish a Taiwan fund similar to an initiative in Ukraine that would allow the U.S. to send weapons to the country, by purchasing them directly from private individuals.
The defense bill also funds key programs and initiatives and outlines steps to acquire seven warships and build approximately 200 aircraft and more than 300 vehicles.
