House Approves Defense Bill With 'Culture War' Amendments

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, authorizing nearly $900 billion in military spending and featuring a plan to streamline the defense acquisition process.

The vote on the proposal for spending similar to last year's level was 231-196, largely along party lines. All but four Republicans backed the bill and all but 17 Democrats opposed, mostly due to amendments addressing divisive social issues.

One such amendment would bar the Pentagon's health insurance from covering gender-related medical treatment.

Representative Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, voted no, accusing Republicans of focusing on politics rather than security.

"They included countless partisan amendments that sought to score points in a right-wing culture war rather than focus on the real needs of our service members and their families," Smith said in a statement.

Representative Mike Rogers of Alabama, the committee's Republican chairman, praised the House bill's passage as "a vote to modernize our military, support our troops, and restore American deterrence."

The measure includes a 3.8% pay raise for troops and plans to improve the military's acquisition system, including by shortening approval timelines and increasing artificial intelligence research.

House members rejected amendments that would have barred funding for Ukraine and Taiwan.

The Senate is considering its version of the bill, which authorizes $32 billion more spending than the House measure. When that passes, the House and Senate Armed Services committees will reach a compromise that must pass both chambers before it can be sent to the White House for President Donald Trump to sign into law or veto.

Republicans on Wednesday narrowly blocked an effort by Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York to include an NDAA amendment that would have forced a vote on the release of files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The case of Epstein, who died by suicide in prison in 2019, has proved to be a political thorn in the side of Trump, a one-time friend of the sex offender.