The Hill: House approves mammoth annual defense policy bill

[Dennis Donovan]

The Hill - House approves mammoth annual defense policy bill

by Brad Dress and Mychael Schnell - 12/11/24 4:40 PM ET

The House on Wednesday passed the annual defense policy bill, sending the mammoth measure to the Senate for consideration ahead of Congress’s end-of-the-month deadline.

The legislation — known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) — cleared the chamber in a bipartisan 281-140 vote, with 200 Republicans and 81 Democrats joining forces to push it over the finish line. Senate GOP Whip John Thune (S.D.) said he expects the package to hit the floor early next week.

Congressional leaders unveiled the sprawling $883.7 billion package over the weekend, which includes a 14.5 percent pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5 increase for all other members.

The legislation advanced out of the House despite opposition from liberal Democrats, and some apprehension from Republicans, who took issue with a number of culture-war amendments that made it into the traditionally bipartisan bill.

The most contentious provision is a restriction on the use of funds from TRICARE, the health care program for active duty service members, for gender-affirming care for the children 18 years and younger of servicemembers.

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[Voltaire2]

1. The DOGE idiots will not be able to see the war budget. It will be mysteriously invisible.

[leftstreet]

2. Whoohoo! Who says the two parties can't work together!?

[bucolic_frolic]

3. Wait. Isn't this where Eloon & Vivek expect to cut $200 billion?