Great job everybody. *bangs head against desk*
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a defense spending bill that includes a provision denying insurance coverage for gender-affirming care for transgender children of service members.
The National Defense Authorization Act, providing for $884 billion in military spending for fiscal year 2025, passed Wednesday on a vote of 281 to 140, with 124 Democrats and 16 Republicans voting against it.
The controversial provision in the act would prohibit coverage under the TriCare insurance plan of any medical intervention for “gender dysphoria that could result in sterilization” for anyone under age 18. That would mean an end to care for any military families using TriCare as their health insurance. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a far-right, anti-LGBTQ+ Republican, had backed this section of the bill.
The bill now goes to the Senate, which has a narrow Democratic majority. However, it is still expected to pass there, Breaking Defense reports. President Joe Biden has pledged to veto any anti-trans legislation.
Civil rights groups and Democratic politicians quickly condemned the House's action.
Military servicemembers and their families wake up every day and sacrifice more than most of us will ever understand," said a statement from Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson. "Those families protect our right to live freely and with dignity — they deserve that same right, and the freedom to access the care their children need. Today, politicians in the House betrayed our nation’s promise to those who serve. Not since the ‘Defense of Marriage Act’ passed almost 30 years ago has an anti-LGBTQ+ policy been enshrined into federal law. For the thousands of families impacted, this isn’t about politics. It’s about young people who deserve our support. Those who have courageously stepped up to serve this country should never have their families used as bargaining chips. Now, the Senate has the opportunity to reject this and any bill that includes these dangerous anti-trans, anti-military family provisions, and remember the fundamental promise of our democracy: that everyone deserves dignity, respect, and the right to healthcare.”