Defense bill targeting trans kids heads to Biden's desk
The Senate passed an $895 billion defense spending bill Wednesday that includes a provision directly targeting transgender youth.
As Daily Kos previously reported, dissent broke out in the House on Dec. 11 after GOP Speaker Mike Johnson muscled in the provision. If approved, the bill will ban transgender minors from using TRICARE (the military’s health insurance) for gender-affirming care.
Seemingly referencing the controversial provision, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the floor Wednesday that the bill “isn’t perfect, but it still includes some very good things that Democrats fought for.”
The bill passed by a vote of 85-14 and now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk for final approval. Three Republicans and 10 Democrats, and one independent senator voted against the bill.
A spokesperson for Republican Sen. Joni Ernst told Daily Kos prior to the vote that Ernst was on board with “trimming the fat” of the spending bill by banning gender-affirming medical care.
“Our defense dollars should protect Americans, not fund gender transition services,” the spokesperson said.
“By ending this radical funding source, [Ernst is] restoring the integrity of our tax dollars and prioritizing the military’s primary mission: defending the American people.”
On the opposing side of the bill, Sen. Ed Markey—one of the ‘no’ voters—said via X on Tuesday night that the bill was an attack on “trans rights and access to health care.”
“Politicians shouldn’t insert themselves between servicemembers, their families, and health care providers,” he said.
Schumer noted upsides to the bill—which heads to Biden’s desk next—including the “strong provisions to stand up against the Chinese Communist Party.”
The bill also includes a pay raise for junior enlisted service members.
This provision targeting transgender youth comes on the heels of a historic Supreme Court hearing challenging a Tennessee law that also bans transgender youth’s access to gender-affirming medical care.
Hundreds of anti-trans laws have popped up across the nation in the past few years, with over 400 bills being introduced in 2020 alone.
Speaking about the SCOTUS hearing, ACLU spokesperson Gillian Branstetter told Daily Kos that the lawmakers banning abortion are the “exact same politicians” who are targeting the trans community.
Some of those people include felon-elect Donald Trump and his Republican cronies. Trump’s campaign spent at least $215 million on ads in 2024 alone attacking Kamala Harris’ support of the transgender community.
GOP Rep. Nancy Mace, who once praised the LGBTQ+ community, has become a mouthpiece for anti-trans legislation and pushed for the Capitol Hill bathroom ban now in place.
The topic of medical care for transgender minors has set off a worldwide debate, with the U.K. indefinitely banning the use of puberty blockers earlier this month.