The U.S. Senate on Wednesday approved a $895.2 billion defense spending increase, despite opposition from many Democrats to a provision that would bar the military’s health care system from providing treatment to transgender children of service members.
The bill showed an unusual partisan divide in an annual piece of legislation that usually receives overwhelming support from both parties.
“Today, for the 64th consecutive year, the Senate passes a bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to protect the American people and strengthen our security,” Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said before the vote.
He added that the NDAA is not perfect, but it does make several important strides that Democrats have fought for, he said, to ensure America’s national defense and take a strong stand against the Chinese Communist Party.
The bill passed the House of Representatives last Wednesday and, after passing the Senate, will go to President Joe Biden for his signature.
Many Democrats in both chambers voted against a last-minute amendment added by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson that would prohibit the military health care system, known as Tricare, from providing treatment to transgender children of U.S. service members.
The NDAA for 2025 sets spending at about one percent above 2024 levels, or $9 billion more.
The spending bill includes a 14.5 percent pay increase for junior enlisted soldiers and a 4.5 percent pay increase for all other soldiers. It includes billions of dollars in funding to help the U.S. fight China, including $15.6 billion for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, AA writes.
