President Joe Biden signed an $895 billion Pentagon policy bill on Monday despite language that he said makes him “strongly opposed” to limiting medical treatment for transgender youth.
The National Defense Authorization Act passed with bipartisan support in both chambers after months of negotiations. The final deal dropped some of the most contentious culture wars, such as measures related to abortions and the Pentagon’s efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in the ranks.
But there was still a lot of controversy.
A provision, included at the urging of Chairman Mike Johnson, prohibits the military’s Tricare health system from covering gender dysphoria treatments “that could result in sterilization” for minors under 18. Some Democrats called the language bigoted and accused Johnson of using it as a swear word. wedge issue to solidify conservative support and help maintain his position as speaker.
Biden denounced the provision in a statement outlining his objections to the bill. The measure, he argued, targets transgender people and hinders parents from determining the best medical care for their children.
“This section undermines the ability of our all-volunteer military to recruit and retain the best fighting force the world has ever known by denying health care coverage to thousands of our service members’ children,” Biden said. “No service member should have to choose between access to health care for their family and their calling to serve our nation.”
Supporters of the measure argue that funding medical care for transgender people distracts from the military’s core mission. But it faced opposition from dozens of LGBTQ+ and advocacy groups, which argued it would eliminate potentially lifesaving care for transgender youth and force service members with transgender children to leave the military.
The language of transgender health care concerns displeased many Democrats in the House of Representatives, most of whom voted against the final bill. Ranking House Armed Services Democrat Adam Smith, who led the charge in opposition, called the measure “bigoted against the trans community” and said it would undermine an otherwise bipartisan bill.
But opposition to the otherwise bipartisan bill was a tough vote for many in the party after an election campaign in which Republicans attacked Democrats as extreme on transgender issues. The provision was less volatile in the Senate, where only 10 Democrats opposed the bill.
Many Democrats joined Republicans in welcoming a boost to quality of life, including a 14.5 percent pay increase for junior enlisted men. House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) led the provisions to improve wages, housing, child care and medical access for troops and their families.
The legislation, which outlines the Pentagon’s annual policy and military budget priorities, is one of the few major bills that Congress has passed every year for more than 60 years.
And it’s not the first time the White House has approved major defense legislation despite major reservations. For example, Biden signed the NDAA in 2022 with a provision that rescinded his own administration’s mandate that military personnel receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
The deal does not include a proposal to add $25 billion to Biden’s budget request for the Pentagon, a loss for GOP defense hawks. Instead, the legislation meets Biden’s $895 billion proposal. It authorizes $850 billion for the Defense Department’s base budget and $33.5 billion for nuclear weapons programs under the Energy Department.
The Senate Armed Services Committee, at the urging of Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, has authorized an additional $25 billion for missile defense, shipbuilding and counter-drone technology. But the House opted for the lower price tag and the budget increase was ultimately excluded from the final version negotiated between the two chambers.
“We have missed an opportunity to strengthen the hand of the president-elect as he comes to power in a precarious global situation,” Wicker said.
The NDAA only allows funding and does not actually allocate money. Congress still must pass a full 2025 budget bill when it returns early next year. While it is unclear how Trump will tackle defense spending, GOP hawks hope that new Republican majorities in both chambers can free up more military money.
Republicans in the Senate and House of Representatives highlighted victories on cultural issues, including a yearlong hiring freeze for diversity, equity and inclusion positions within the Pentagon and a ban on Defense Department academic institutions or military training programs that provide critical promote racial theory.
But they set aside some of their most controversial proposals to roll back Biden-era personnel policies at the Pentagon, expecting that Trump could block many of those measures upon his return to the White House.
