The Senate approved the Pentagon’s $895 billion annual budget on Wednesday, which prohibits federal funds for transgender surgeries for minors with gender dysphoria. This decision upset pro-LGBTQ Democrats. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed with an 85-to-14 vote and now awaits President Joe Biden’s signature after previously clearing the House.
Congress must pass the NDAA at the start of each fiscal year on October 1st to authorize defense spending. The bill this year, which is about two months late, has a 1% increase over last year’s budget. It includes a 4. 5% pay raise for service members starting in 2025.
Historically, NDAAs receive bipartisan support, but Republicans successfully removed provisions concerning child transgender issues, which Democrats favored. GOP officials argued that children’s brains are still developing, and allowing minors to permanently change their bodies is wrong. The NDAA now prohibits the military’s health care service, Tricare, from covering gender transition for service members’ children under 18. Twenty-one Senate Democrats opposed this change.
Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis. ) expressed concern that this policy could affect 6,000 to 7,000 gender dysphoric children of service members. Reports indicate nearly 10,000 transgender youth aged 6 to 22 have military parents. Other NDAA provisions aim to improve service member conditions, including a 14. 5% raise for junior troops. It also allows the Department of Defense to address drone threats at the border and deploy the National Guard for immigration enforcement, while banning diversity hiring until an investigation is complete.
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