The House just did something remarkable: it passed a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that doesn’t read like a wish list for progressive social experiments. Instead, it takes a hard stance against the idea that taxpayer dollars should fund gender transition procedures for minors, especially when those procedures result in permanent sterilization. Shocking, right? A government bill focused on actual governance.
The NDAA passed by a 281-140 vote, a rare bipartisan effort, though the split tells you plenty about the current state of things. Two hundred Republicans stood firmly behind it, joined by 81 Democrats, while 124 Democrats and a smattering of Republicans voted no. Why? Section 708 of the bill includes language that stops the military’s TRICARE health plan from covering so-called “gender-affirming care” for minors. You’d think banning irreversible medical interventions on kids would be common sense, but not in today’s political climate.
Democrats and left-wing activists argue these procedures are “life-saving,” a claim Republicans like House Speaker Mike Johnson have called out as both unscientific and dangerous. The truth is that these interventions can and do sterilize kids permanently, and there’s no solid evidence that rushing children into life-altering medical decisions saves lives. But sure, let’s pretend this is about “healthcare” instead of pushing radical ideology onto the military’s families.
“Taxpayer dollars should never be used to support procedures and treatments that could permanently harm and sterilize young people,” Johnson said in a statement to The Daily Wire. “In this year’s NDAA, we’re taking a critical and necessary step to protect the children of American service members from radical gender ideology and experimental drugs.”
As Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX) put it, the bill rejects the woke agenda and refocuses on military readiness—a concept that’s apparently foreign to some in Washington. Beyond addressing this controversial issue, the NDAA authorizes nearly $900 billion in spending, deploys the National Guard to secure the southern border, and includes a substantial 19.5% pay raise for junior enlisted personnel. Real priorities, folks.
Still, not everyone’s thrilled. Adam Smith (D-WA), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, accused the bill of being “bigoted against the trans community,” claiming that some children of servicemembers will suffer without access to these treatments. Meanwhile, Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) criticized the bill as an overreach of “big government.” Funny, isn’t it? The left loves big government when it’s enforcing mandates but cries foul when it protects kids.
On the Republican side, some lawmakers like Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) argued the provision was unnecessary, suggesting President-elect Trump would handle the issue after taking office. Rogers isn’t wrong—Trump’s incoming administration has already signaled its intent to dismantle much of the woke agenda embedded in federal policies. Still, leaving this fight for later might have been risky. Republicans aren’t taking chances, and frankly, neither should they.
Speaker Mike Johnson called the provision a “critical and necessary step” in combating “radical gender ideology.” His leadership earned praise from conservative groups, like the American Principles Project, which thanked him for prioritizing this issue. As APP president Terry Schilling put it, voters gave the GOP a mandate to protect children from irreversible medical experiments. And guess what? That’s exactly what Republicans are doing.
The NDAA includes critical wins for our troops & our country:
– Improves servicemembers’ quality of life
– Ensures America continues to have the most powerful fighting force in the world
– Bans transgender treatment for kids of military members
– Cuts $31B in Pentagon bureaucracy pic.twitter.com/FDlbHFKtMi— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) December 10, 2024
Democrats might call this bill divisive, but protecting kids and keeping the military focused on defense, not social engineering, shouldn’t be controversial. This is about putting boundaries on a movement that’s gone too far, too fast, and ensuring taxpayer dollars aren’t spent undermining the very families that sacrifice for this country. The left can scream all it wants, but voters have spoken. Priorities are shifting, and this NDAA is a clear sign that the tide is turning.
