Senate leaders navigate through polarizing provisions to secure bipartisan support for a crucial military spending package.
According to The Hill, the Senate has approved the $895 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with an 85-14 vote, sending the legislation to President Biden's desk despite contentious debates over transgender care restrictions for military families.
The bill's passage marks the 64th consecutive year of successfully enacted defense authorization legislation, demonstrating remarkable bipartisan cooperation even amid controversial additions.
The comprehensive package includes significant military pay raises and strategic funding allocations while also incorporating politically charged provisions that sparked heated debate among lawmakers.
A last-minute provision inserted by House Speaker Mike Johnson restricting TRICARE funding for gender-affirming care among military dependents under 18 emerged as a major point of contention.
Senator Tammy Baldwin led a group of 21 Democratic senators in an unsuccessful attempt to remove the provision, arguing it would affect between 6,000 and 7,000 military families. Several Democrats, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, voted against the bill in protest.
Baldwin expressed her strong opposition on the Senate floor, stating:
We're talking about parents who are serving our country in uniform, having the right to consult their family's doctor and get the health care they want and need for their transgender children, that's it.
Despite these objections, many Democrats ultimately supported the legislation, citing its critical importance to national security. Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Jack Reed acknowledged the concerns while advocating for the bill's passage.
The 1,800-page document authorizes comprehensive military spending and introduces several significant policy changes. Service members will receive substantial pay increases, with junior enlisted troops getting a 14.5 percent raise and other personnel receiving a 4.5 percent boost. The bill also provides funding for new warships, aircraft, and vehicles while strengthening the U.S. military presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
The legislation includes controversial measures beyond the transgender care restrictions. It prohibits the Defense Department from supporting critical race theory in academic institutions and implements a yearlong freeze on hiring for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs within the military.
Some lawmakers, including Senator Bernie Sanders, criticized the bill's substantial price tag. Others, like Senator Roger Wicker and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, pushed unsuccessfully for an additional $25 billion in funding.
The NDAA's final approval demonstrates Congress's ability to achieve bipartisan consensus on national security matters despite significant ideological differences. President Biden is expected to sign the legislation promptly, maintaining its unbroken streak of annual passage since its inception.
The bill represents a complex compromise between competing priorities, balancing military modernization needs with social policy debates. While the authorization bill has passed, Congress must still address the separate appropriations process, with funding decisions likely to extend into March of next year.
