The United States Senate voted on Thursday to pass the National Defense Authorization Act after the House had passed it last week by a vote of 281 to 140. The bill’s passage in the Upper Chamber was not without grudging opposition from progressive Democrats… thanks to an added transgender poison pill by GOP House leadership:
The Senate voted 85-14 in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act, which is more than 60 votes needed to pass the bill in the upper chamber. The bill was passed despite the controversial inclusion of a measure that would prohibit some gender-affirming care for children of transgender service members.
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Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La) introduction of last-minute language in the bill that would restrict the use of funds from TRICARE — the health care program for active-duty service members — to gender-affirming care for children 18 years and younger. The bill was amended at the last minute to restrict the use of TRICARE funds — the health insurance program for active duty service members — towards gender-affirming care for children aged 18 and under of military members.
The Democrats who led the charge on Monday to get their Senate colleague to drop the language were Sens. Tammy Baldwin, Elizabeth Warren, and Ed Markey are all Democrats. They only managed to gather 20 senators in the end for their failed amendment attempt.
Baldwin said on the Senate floor before the vote was taken Wednesday, that the measure is a sign that lawmakers are “gutting the rights of our military members”:
The law has been broken, because Republicans have decided to gut the rights of our military personnel to score cheap political points.
The NDAA is placed on the desk of President Biden for his signature.
It’s fruitful to remember that the Republicans will hold the reins in the Senate, the House, and the White House in short order. It’s more than likely that we’ll see continued, strong action along these lines in the weeks and months to come.
