President Joe Biden this week signed the multibillion dollar defense spending bill that included a controversial provision that restricts care for transgender minors under the military’s healthcare program.
Biden on Monday evening signed the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes a provision that restricts TRICARE from covering certain treatments for minor family members of active duty service members who have gender dysphoria, despite previously vowing to veto legislation that he found discriminating against transgender people.
The bill passed the House and Senate with bipartisan support, though some Democrats did vote against the legislation due to the measure, which was not included in a previous bipartisan bill that President-elect Donald Trump and adviser Elon Musk came out against late last week.
In a statement, the president criticized this provision, which he said “targets a group based on that group’s gender identity and interferes with parents’ roles to determine the best care for their children.”
Biden added: “The provision undermines our all-volunteer military’s ability to recruit and retain the finest fighting force the world has ever known by denying health care coverage to thousands of our service members’ children. No service member should have to decide between their family’s health care access and their call to serve our Nation.”