House Republicans narrowly pass defense bill loaded with culture war issues

The House narrowly cleared defense policy legislation on Friday after Republicans tacked on divisive provisions restricting abortion access, medical treatment for transgender troops and efforts to combat climate change.

Speaker Mike Johnson’s move to permit culture war amendments to the annual National Defense Authorization Act turned a widely bipartisan bill into a measure supported almost entirely by Republicans. The tactic represented a gamble for Johnson, who could have pushed to pass a more bipartisan version with the help of Democrats, but instead catered to a sliver of his right flank.

That gamble ultimately paid off for Johnson as enough Republicans united to win the final vote. But the most conservative parts of the House defense bill stand no chance in the Senate, and the dispute likely won't be sorted out until after the November elections.

The 217-199 vote saw all but six Democrats oppose the $895 billion bill. Only three Republicans broke ranks to oppose it. The outcome was far from certain, though, as lawmakers and aides speculated the vote would come down to attendance at the Friday session.

It's the second year in a row House Republicans have elected to pass a hard-right Pentagon bill.

Johnson — who survived an attempt to oust him in May in part over his reliance on Democrats to pass a $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan — avoided stoking more GOP infighting as Republicans look to keep their slim House majority and help reelect Donald Trump in November. Facing the possibility that just a few hardliners in his narrow majority could block the bill, Johnson opted to grant votes on a variety of socially conservative amendments to unite Republicans.

But the move sacrificed the support of dozens of Democrats, who criticized Republicans for turning a must-pass national security measure into a partisan social effort.

"The extreme MAGA Republicans are not interested in governing,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters. “And so they have hijacked the National Defense Authorization Act in order to jam their extreme right-wing ideology down the throats of the American people.

"Instead, all they care about is bending the knee to Donald Trump," Jeffries added.

The defense bill has become law each year for more than six decades and typically passes with support from both parties. But the bipartisan around this year's House bill eroded Thursday as Republicans approved a series of amendments attacking Biden-era policies.

The bill approved by the Armed Services Committee already included some right-leaning provisions, including language to prohibit the military service academies from factoring race into admissions decisions.

Republicans turned up the heat even further on the House floor this week. On Thursday, lawmakers approved an amendment to block the Pentagon's policy to reimburse troops who travel to seek abortion or other reproductive health care. They voted to block funding to cover gender-affirming care for transgender troops. Republicans also muscled through amendments to gut Pentagon diversity, equity and inclusion programs and climate change efforts. House Republicans adopted similar proposals last year when they also passed a defense bill along party lines.

The House also adopted amendments to defund a beleaguered U.S. military pier off the coast of Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians amid Israel's offensive. Republicans also won a fight to block Pentagon funding to bring Palestinian refugees to the U.S., though the U.S. isn't doing so now.

President Joe Biden hasn't formally threatened to veto the bill, but the bill drew a White House rebuke ahead of the vote.

“Once again House Republicans have chosen to put partisanship over the health and safety of our troops and our national security by including numerous poison pill amendments," a White House spokesperson said in a statement. "This is an unserious effort [that] will never get to the president’s desk. We stand ready to work with Congress on an NDAA that meets the needs of our troops and our national security.”

House and Senate leaders will negotiate a compromise bill once both chambers have passed their versions.

The most controversial provisions in the House bill will either be stripped out or watered down in a final bill because they could never pass the Democratic-controlled Senate. That political dynamic led to negotiators sinking similar provisions last year.

"I know, in the end, we will work it out," Armed Services ranking Democrat Adam Smith of Washington said while knocking the "deep flaws" in the final bill.

And while the conservative provisions largely united Republicans, including some GOP hardliners and fiscal hawks or others who rarely support the defense bill, Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) lamented sacrificing bipartisan support for conservative priorities that likely can't become law.

"It's the legislative process. People have a right to their amendments and people have a right to vote how they want to, but it doesn't change the dynamic that we're in," Rogers said. "Nothing has changed except our majority has gotten a little bit smaller. So the idea that anything's gonna come out differently is really delusional."

But the bill is a window into policies Republicans could push if Trump returns to the White House and the GOP wins control of the House and Senate next year. With little time left on the legislative calendar ahead of the election, conservatives have sought to pack pro-Trump priorities into major spending and policy bills, including defense legislation. And Johnson scored a win for Trump this week by keeping his members united in a vote to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt for defying demands to hand over audio of Biden’s interview with former special counsel Robert Hur.

Democrats and Republicans still have touted a variety of bipartisan wins in the committee-approved bill.

Topping the list is a package of pay-and-benefits increases aimed at improving quality of life for military personnel and families. On top of a 4.5 percent pay raise sought by the Pentagon, the bill includes a 15 percent hike for the junior enlisted personnel. Lower-ranking troops stand to see a nearly 20 percent pay bump if it becomes law.

Lawmakers also pushed to override the Navy's decision to purchase just one Virginia-class attack submarine. The service argued that delays at shipyards mean that tight funding is better spent in ramping up the industrial base to more quickly build subs. But after a bipartisan push, the bill puts a down payment on a second sub that would be funded in installments rather than upfront.

The legislation also cuts 10 F-35 fighters from the Pentagon budget, purchasing just 58 of the planes after problems with software upgrades led to a delivery pause. Instead, the Armed Services Committee elected to redirect funding to resolving production problems with the Lockheed Martin jets.

The Senate Armed Services Committee, meanwhile, approved its version of the NDAA Thursday evening, though it is unclear when the upper chamber might debate the bill.