Washington witnessed a significant event as House Republicans passed an $895.2 billion defense policy bill on Wednesday. This bill contains a highly contentious provision that prohibits certain types of medical care for transgender children of military service members. The addition to the National Defense Authorization Act restricts TRICARE, the health care program for active-duty service members and their families, from covering medical interventions for gender dysphoria treatments that “could result in sterilization” for children under 18. With about 9.5 million beneficiaries worldwide, as per the Military Health System, this provision is likely to face tough challenges in a Democrat-controlled Senate and is yet another Republican effort to address transgender issues.

Transgender Issue in Congress and Beyond

Last month, House Speaker Mike Johnson, from Louisiana, announced a policy banning transgender people from using restrooms in specific parts of the Capitol corresponding to their gender. This came after Rep. Nancy Mace, from South Carolina, introduced a resolution with a similar aim targeting Democrat Sarah McBride of Delaware, who was elected as the first openly transgender woman in Congress in November. The transgender issue has not only sparked clashes within Congress but has also reached the Supreme Court, where justices debated earlier this month on whether states can prevent transgender adolescents from using puberty blockers and hormone therapy. Conservative justices repeatedly emphasized that the issue should be left to state legislatures.The defense bill passed the House along party lines, with 281 votes in favor and 140 against. Two hundred Republicans and 81 Democrats voted yes, while 124 Democrats and 16 Republicans opposed it. Alongside this, the bill included bipartisan measures such as a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service troops and a 4.5% pay raise for all other members, along with $100 million in funding for historically black colleges and military serving institutions. However, it also had other controversial aspects like prohibiting funding to teach critical race theory in military schools.Rep. Adam Smith, a ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee from Washington, argued in a statement on Sunday that “blanketly denying health care to people who clearly need it, just because of a biased notion against transgender people, is wrong.” He called on Johnson to remove the transgender provision before votes. House Armed Services Committee Chair Rep. Mike Rogers from Alabama told The Hill that Johnson did not consult him about inserting the provision in the bill and added that “My preference would have been that we just let the president, on Jan. 20, deal with these.” But Johnson said in a statement last week that the bill would “end the radical woke ideology being imposed on our military.”After the votes, House Republicans expressed support for the provision and were confident that the bill would pass the Senate. Rep. Ronny Jackson from Texas, who voted in support of the bill, said, “We shouldn’t be doing that with taxpayer money in the, you know, via the NDAA. We shouldn’t be providing, you know, mutilation type surgery and, you know, hormonal therapy and all this stuff to kids that you know, that they’re not of age, they’re not old enough to come to grips with the consequences of those decisions, and it’s just it’s irresponsible, and it just shouldn’t be happening anywhere in this country.” Rep. Mike Bost from Illinois echoed Jackson, noting that “They want to do that and they’re adults, that’s fine. There’s all these list of things you’re not supposed to do until you’re 18.” He added that a big priority for Republicans in January will be to “step away from all this woke stuff.”However, Democrats strongly pushed back against the provision. Rep. Jamaal Bowman from New York, who lost his re-election bid, said, “I think they just targeted the trans community as the boogeyman, the new boogeyman for them to attack and bully and weaponize this institution against. I mean, they are going to try to include anti-trans legislation into every single thing that they do (in January). It’s going to be a part of everything.” Sen. Ron Wyden from Oregon has yet to vote on the bill and said he hasn’t looked at the provision. But he said he’s a “let live Democrat,” meaning he believes people should make their own choices.