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They introduced an amendment to the House-passed version of the bill, and Baldwin delivered floor remarks against the anti-trans language.
Out U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and 20 of her fellow Senate Democrats have introduced an amendment that would remove anti-transgender language from the National Defense Authorization Act.
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The House version of the act, passed last week, bans coverage of gender-affirming care for trans people under 18 under TriCare, the insurance plan for service members. It would primarily affect children of these troops. The Senate voted 83-12 Monday to advance that version of the bill, and a final voted could come Wednesday.
The amendment was introduced Monday, and Baldwin, a lesbian from Wisconsin, spoke on the matter on the Senate floor Tuesday.
Opposing the current version of the NDAA “is not a position I take lightly,” Baldwin said. “I have supported the final passage of each NDAA that has come before me in the Senate up until now.”
The commitment to bipartisan support of the bill “has been broken because some Republicans decided that gutting the rights of our service members to score cheap political points was more worthy,” she said. “Let’s be clear: We are talking about parents who are serving our country in uniform having the right to consult with their family’s doctor and get the health care they want and need for their transgender children. That’s it. They want the right to whatever health care is best for their child, something I imagine all parents want.”
“The health care we are talking about here can sometimes be lifesaving,” she continued. “Some folks estimate that this will impact between 6,000 and 7,000 families in the military. I, for one, trust these service members and their families to make their own decisions about health care without politicians butting in. It’s flat-out wrong to put this provision in this bill and take away a service member’s freedom to make that decision for their family.” Otherwise she would be happy to support the bill, which includes significant pay raises, improvements in health care, and more.
There is a simple solution to the problem, she said — her amendment to strike that language from the bill. Cosponsors of the amendment are Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith of Minnesota, Cory Booker and Andy Kim of New Jersey, Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden of Oregon, Alex Padilla of California, John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Martin Heinrich of New Mexico, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, and Patty Murray of Washington.
The House-passed version of the bill authorizes $884 billion in military spending for fiscal year 2025. It passed Wednesday on a vote of 281 to 140, with 124 Democrats and 16 Republicans voting against it. U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, a gay Democrat from New Hampshire, was the only LGBTQ+ member of the House to vote for it. He did so in spite of opposing the anti-trans provision.
Also Tuesday, Markey and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups held a press conference to state their opposition to the anti-trans language. “Trans rights are human rights," Markey said. "Health care is a human right. Today, we must defend both. …To every trans American, to every service member, their families, friends, and communities: I will not turn my back on you. I am with you. And together, we will keep fighting."
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Minority Veterans of America Executive Director Lindsay Church said, “If this bill passes in its current form, it would be the first time since the 1990s that an anti-LGBTQ+ bill will become law. If we don’t give this fight every ounce of our hearts, souls, and power, how will we look at our children and tell them that they will have to suffer in the name of political games?”
National Women’s Law Center president and CEO Fatima Goss Graves added,“The lawmakers who pushed for the measure in this bill…they’re the same ones who don’t trust women to make their own health care decisions... And so now they’re trying to tell military families that they’re not trusted to make the decisions that they want to be able to make for their family.”
“Service members and their families make incredible sacrifices for our country," Human Rights Campaign National Press Secretary Brandon Wolf said. "They lay everything on the line — and we entrust them with our nation’s safety, security, and freedom. In return, they are owed our respect…and the freedom to make their own health care decisions.”
“Family time is precious to all," noted Modern Military Association of America Deputy Director Cathy Marcello. "Tomorrow, Congress will determine whether thousands of military families will spend the holidays deciding if they must live apart, if they will be forced to leave the military, if they can afford to pay out of pocket for necessary medical care.”
National LGBTQ+ advocate and legislative researcher Allison Chapman closed with a message for transgender young people: “To the trans kids listening today and seeing politicians debate your right to exist, I want you to know that I will always be here fighting for you. You are loved. You are beautiful. You matter to me and so many others. One thing I have learned is that our joy always shines through no matter how dark the world is.”
