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The House of Representatives approved the $895 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2025 on Wednesday, following contentious debates over a provision restricting gender-affirming care for military dependents.
The bill passed in a 281–140 vote, with 81 Democrats joining 200 Republicans in favor, while 16 Republicans opposed it. The legislation now advances to the Senate for approval.
Major Defense Provisions Highlighted
House Speaker Mike Johnson celebrated the bill, which spans 1,800 pages, citing a 14.5% pay raise for junior service members, improved housing for military families, and expanded joint military exercises with Israel. The bill also allocates increased funding for defense initiatives in the Indo-Pacific region.
“This year’s NDAA ensures our military has the resources needed to remain the most powerful fighting force on the planet,” Johnson said at a press conference.
However, the Louisiana Republican also spotlighted provisions that have drawn sharp criticism, including restrictions on gender-affirming care for dependents under 18 and a ban on teaching critical race theory at military academies. He argued the bill “gutted the DEI bureaucracy,” referring to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Contentious Gender-Affirming Care Ban
The provision prohibits military healthcare programs from offering treatments for gender dysphoria that could result in sterilization for dependents under 18. Critics, including leading Democrats, have decried the move as a partisan attack on the LGBTQ+ community.
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, acknowledged bipartisan victories in the bill but condemned the gender-affirming care provision.
“This injected a level of partisanship not traditionally seen in defense bills,” Smith said in a statement. “Speaker Johnson is pandering to the most extreme elements of his party to ensure that he retains his speakership.”
Smith noted that Democrats succeeded in blocking many other controversial provisions targeting DEI programs, reproductive healthcare, and LGBTQ+ rights.
Democratic Opposition and Bipartisan Divide
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries acknowledged the bill contained several bipartisan achievements but noted “troubling provisions” that divided Democrats. The party chose not to enforce a unified position, leaving the vote to individual members.
The NDAA has historically passed with broad bipartisan support. However, this year’s debate over social issues, including gender-affirming care and DEI initiatives, threatened to fracture that tradition.
Broader Political Context
The NDAA’s passage comes as President-elect Donald Trump and his allies amplify anti-transgender rhetoric on the campaign trail. Trump has also pledged to prioritize conservative social policies, aligning with recent House Republican efforts to regulate bathroom access based on “biological sex” in the Capitol.
Speaker Johnson, elected in November, faces a razor-thin Republican majority and will need strong party unity to retain his leadership role in the next Congress. The debate over the NDAA underscores the ongoing tension within the GOP and its impact on bipartisan cooperation in Washington.
