House and Senate still have significant disagreements on defense spending bills.
The Senate Passes National Defense Authorization Act with Broad Bipartisan Support
The Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Thursday night with overwhelming bipartisan support, setting it apart from its House counterparts by avoiding partisan topics. This annual defense policy bill authorizes 6 billion in spending on national security, which aligns with President Joe Biden’s requested amount. Of the 100 senators, 86 voted in favor of the bill, while only 11 voted against it. In contrast, the House’s version of the NDAA was a nearly party-line vote.
Key Issues to Resolve in the Bill
Now that both chambers have passed their respective versions of the NDAA, negotiators from each chamber will collaborate to merge them into one cohesive bill, which will ultimately be sent to the president’s desk for approval. However, there are two major culture war issues that need to be addressed: abortion access and transgender healthcare. These issues were included in the House’s version but not in the Senate’s.
The House’s version of the bill included an amendment that would end the Pentagon’s current abortion policy. This policy reimburses service members or their dependents for travel expenses incurred when seeking medical services such as abortions or fertility treatments out-of-state. The policy was implemented in response to the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade and the subsequent restrictive laws enacted by conservative states.
Another amendment in the House’s bill aimed to prevent the Department of Defense (DOD) and the military’s healthcare program, Tricare, from providing gender-related surgeries and hormone treatments for transgender service members.
These amendments caused all but four House Democrats to vote against the NDAA a couple of weeks ago. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) criticized the House’s approach, stating, “What’s happening in the Senate is a stark contrast to the partisan race to the bottom we saw in the House, where House Republicans are pushing partisan legislation that has zero chance of passing.”
President Biden’s Stance on the Bill
President Biden’s support for the final NDAA bill remains uncertain due to the inclusion of these controversial amendments. National Security Council coordinator John Kirby expressed doubts about the president signing a bill that contains rollbacks on abortion access and transgender healthcare. Kirby emphasized the importance of allowing Americans to serve in uniform with dignity and receive proper medical and mental care.
It is worth noting that the NDAA has been passed every year for over 60 years, making it a crucial piece of legislation for national defense.
Implications of the Abortion Issue
While the president typically signs the defense authorization bill into law in December, the abortion issue may come to a head sooner due to the actions of Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL). Tuberville has held up military nominations for approximately six months, arguing that the Pentagon’s abortion policy is an overreach. His hold has blocked over 300 nominations, and if it continues through the end of the year, it could affect more than 650 nominations.
If Biden’s nominees are not confirmed, the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Joint Staff may have acting leaders in addition to the Marine Corps, which is already operating under an acting Commandant. Tuberville’s hold does not completely prevent the Senate from passing nominations, but it significantly slows down the process. Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), estimated that it would take approximately 84 days to vote through every promotion if they exclusively focused on that for eight hours every day.
Overall, the NDAA’s passage in the Senate with bipartisan support sets the stage for negotiations and potential compromises on the contentious issues of abortion access and transgender healthcare.
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