2025 NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT PASSES HOUSE & SENATE, EXCLUDES TRANSGENDER CARE FOR MINORS

The 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has passed both the House and Senate and is headed to the desk of President Joe Biden while still excluding healthcare options for gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have found a compromise that works, setting up our nation’s defense budget for the Fiscal Year in 2025. Learn more about the $895 billion defense bill and what to expect from its 1,800 pages of legislation.

2025 National Defense Authorization Act Overview

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 passed the House on December 11, 2024 and the Senate on December 18, 2024, paving the way for the annual defense bill to provide almost $900 billion to the military.

As it stands, minors who would need access to certain healthcare services currently available won’t have it if the 2025 NDAA becomes law.

It’s a controversial approach set on the backdrop of a bill offering pay raises, important budget measures, and a lot more that affects the military community.

In total, it’s almost a 1% increase from FY24, setting our national security budget at $895 billion.

Keep in mind the NDAA is more of a guide, providing some wiggle room for the actual spending undertaken by the American Armed Forces.

This is part of the reason the bill is capable of finding so much consistency—the NDAA has been passed 64 times in a row despite hostilities in recent years between Democratic and Republican lawmakers.

"Congress has passed the NDAA on a bipartisan basis for over six straight decades, and this year will be no different. We're passing the NDAA and that's a very good thing,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Even with the concerns surrounding gender-affirming care from Democrats, the bill should be passed before Congress goes on recess from December 20, 2024, through January 2, 2025.

Still, there have been protests surrounding transgender rights and the way the bill will handle access to healthcare.

Transgender Healthcare for Children Is a Sensitive 2025 NDAA Topic

As it stands, the National Defense Authorization Act in 2025 won’t allow minor children of service members to receive treatment dealing with gender dysphoria when using TRICARE. Specifically, the bill won’t allow “medical interventions…that could result in sterilization” for minors.

On one side, there are concerns that the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act could have service members choosing between continuing their duty and finding healthcare for their children.

On the other hand, Republicans point to the rhetoric of President-elect Donald Trump who is looking to end access to transgender healthcare for warfighters and dependents once he enters his second presidential term.

Some estimates show that as many as 7,000 children might be affected by the change; however, these figures are hard to pin down for a number of reasons, including a lack of data from The Pentagon.

Although the Trump administration is yet to be solidified or placed in office, there are already plenty of plans being released aimed at wokeness, diversity, and specifically, the transgender community.

Key Provisions of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act

NDAAs having controversial provisions is nothing new, as the 2024 rendition had plenty of controversies surrounding access to abortion care for service members, and excluded expanding coverage for in vitro fertilization.

However, with 1,800 pages, it’s clear that the 2025 NDAA covers a lot for the military community. Here are some of the key provisions and facts about the bill that stand out:

• Junior enlisted troops will receive a substantial pay raise of 14.5%, with all other service members receiving a 4.5% pay increase.

• Military families will receive financial help to cover childcare.

• A pilot program helping milspouses gain employment is being extended.

• Copays for contraceptives are eliminated.

• A new program preventing and managing mental health issues that begin around or at the time of giving birth is being established.

• The U.S. military is going to increase its presence in the Indo-Pacific region with a specific authorization of $2 billion for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative.

• Shipbuilding gets a boost by divesting from outdated ships, aircraft, machinery, and systems, to help create more destroyers, a nuclear sub, and over 90 fighter aircraft for national defense.

Legislation is rarely perfect and often leaves out things at least one group would like to include. The 2025 National Defense Authorization Act is no different but it still has a few hoops to jump through before it becomes official.

There is an investment in fighting China’s use of AI for national defense while also increasing tech innovation in the United States.

Legislation is rarely perfect and often leaves out things at least one group would like to include. The 2025 National Defense Authorization Act is no different and it still needs the President’s signature before it becomes official.

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