President Biden signed a defense bill into law on Monday, authorizing a significant increase in military spending to $895 billion. The bill includes substantial pay raises for junior enlisted service members—a 14.5% increase—and a 4.5% raise for others. However, the signing came with objections from the President regarding several provisions. Specifically, Mr. Biden voiced strong opposition to a clause that strips coverage of transgender medical treatments for children in military families, stating that it targets a specific group based on gender identity, interferes with parental decision-making regarding healthcare, and undermines military recruitment and retention efforts. He emphasized that no service member should face a choice between their family’s healthcare and their service.
The Senate passed the bill last week with a vote of 85-14, while the House passed it 281-140, despite a majority of Democrats voting against it following the addition of the transgender healthcare provision by House Speaker Mike Johnson. Further objections from the President included language restricting the transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees to foreign countries or the United States. He urged Congress to remove these restrictions.
Beyond the pay raises, the bill takes a more assertive stance against China. This includes establishing a fund potentially used to support Taiwan militarily, similar to U.S. support for Ukraine. It also invests in advanced military technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and boosts domestic ammunition production. The bill extends existing bans on purchasing Chinese products for the military, expanding prohibitions to encompass a wide range of goods, from garlic to drone technology.
It is important to note that the defense authorization bill must still be accompanied by a separate spending package to be fully implemented.