The US Senate approved a defense bill with significant pay raises for junior enlisted personnel, aimed at countering China's influence and increasing overall military spending to $895 billion. The bill also restricts transgender healthcare coverage for children of military personnel.
The Senate passed a defense bill Wednesday authorizing significant pay raises for junior enlisted service members, aiming to counter China 's growing power and boosting overall military spending to $895 billion. The bill also strips coverage of transgender medical treatments for children of military members.
The annual defense authorization bill usually gains strong bipartisan support and has not failed to pass Congress in nearly six decades, but the Pentagon policy measure in recent years has become a battleground for cultural issues. Republicans this year sought to tack on to the legislation priorities for social conservatives, contributing to a months-long negotiation over the bill and a falloff in support from Democrats. Still, the bill passed comfortably 85-14, sending it to President Joe Biden. Eleven senators who caucus with Democrats, as well as three Republicans, voted against the legislation. The bill 'isn't perfect, but it still includes some very good things that Democrats fought for,' said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in a floor speech. 'It has strong provisions to stand up against the Chinese Communist Party here on a national security basis.' In the House, a majority of Democrats voted against the bill last week after House Speaker Mike Johnson insisted on adding the provision to ban the military health system from providing transgender medical care for children. The legislation easily passed by a vote of 281-140. Senate Republican leaders argued that its 1% increase for defense spending was not enough, especially at a time of global unrest and challenges to American dominance. Senate Republicans had argued for a generational boost to defense spending this year, but are planning another push for more defense funding once they control the White House and Congress next year. 'We are currently experiencing the most dangerous national security moments since World War II,' said Republican Sen
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