The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed a defense bill that includes a provision banning military healthcare funds from being used to provide sex-change treatments for children of military personnel.
This annual defense authorization bill passed Congress without fail for nearly six decades, according to The Associated Press. The House saw a majority of Democrats dissenting last week when Speaker Mike Johnson insisted on incorporating a clause that prohibits the military’s health system from providing sex-change treatments to minors.
Nonetheless, the bill passed the House with a 281-140 vote, the AP reported. House Democrats have opposed a Republican provision in the latest National Defense Authorization Act that bans military funding for gender dysphoria treatments that could sterilize minors.
Despite these tensions, the bill sailed through the Senate with an 85-14 vote and is now on its way to President Joe Biden for signature, the AP reported. Eleven senators from the Democratic caucus and three Republicans opposed the bill.
Psaki Says Sex Reassignment Surgery, Puberty Blockers for Kids Is ‘Best Practice,’ States Preventing It Will Be Held Accountable pic.twitter.com/ZmboFDFIYx
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In addition to the provision on sex-change treatments to minors within military families, the bill also includes increases in pay for junior enlisted service members, bolsters the military budget to $895 billion, and intensifies measures to counter China’s rising influence.
“[This bill] isn’t perfect, but it still includes some very good things that Democrats fought for,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a floor speech. “It has strong provisions to stand up against the Chinese Communist Party here on a national security basis.”
This bill not only mandates a 14.5% salary increment for junior enlisted members and a 4.5% hike for other ranks but also emphasizes quality of life improvements, according to the AP. These enhancements range from better childcare and housing options to increased medical services and support for military spouses.
Senate Republicans have voiced dissatisfaction over the mere 1% increase in defense spending amidst global unrest. They have promised to advocate for a substantial uplift in defense spending when they regain control of the White House and Congress next year, the AP said.
“We are currently experiencing the most dangerous national security moments since World War II,” the upcoming chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, said in a statement. He has been a staunch advocate for escalating defense budgets beyond the spending caps established in last year’s bipartisan debt ceiling suspension agreement.
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