The House of Representatives introduced the annual defense policy bill on Tuesday, preparing the mammoth measure for a final vote later this week.
The chamber voted 211-207 along party lines to adopt the rule — which governs debate on legislation — for the sprawling bill, officially opening debate in the chamber. The House is expected to vote this week on final passage, which requires majority support in the chamber before sending the bill to the Senate before the year-end deadline.
The bill – known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) – is worth $883.7 billion and includes bipartisan provisions such as a 14.5 percent pay augment for junior military personnel, an augment in the U.S. presence in the Indo-Pacific and the Financing the construction of seven up-to-date ships.
However, it contains some Republican Party-led amendments on culture war issues that are facing resistance from Democrats and threaten to enact the typically bipartisan measure more partisan than usual.
For example, the measure included language that would limit the operate of funds from TRICARE, the dynamic military health program, for gender-affirming care for transgender children under 18.
Rep. Adam Smith (Wash.), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, did not announce how he plans to vote but criticized the transgender provision in a statement.
“It is wrong to blanketly deny health care to people who clearly need it simply because of bias against transgender people,” Smith wrote. “This provision introduced a level of partisanship not traditionally seen in defense legislation. Speaker Johnson is supporting the most extreme elements of his party to ensure that he retains his position as Speaker. In doing so, he turned what had previously been a cross-party process on its head.”
The NDAA also includes an amendment that would prevent the Department of Defense from establishing up-to-date positions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) one year after the law’s passage.
Congressional leaders introduced the legislation over the weekend after months of cross-party negotiations. House Republicans approved their version of the NDAA in June, and the Senate Armed Services Committee advanced their version that same month, forcing congressional leaders to work out a compromise product – which is the typical process for the NDAA.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) welcomed the compromise measure on Tuesday, telling reporters at a news conference surrounded by other members of the GOP leadership: “We are proud of this product.”
“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,” he added.
