WASHINGTON (TNS) — Legislation setting defense policy through Sept. 30 cleared the Senate on Wednesday despite a House Republican provision preventing federal funds from being spent on gender-affirming care for transgender children of Americans serving in the military.
The lopsided 85-14 margin came despite the provision, which U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., decried even as he voted yes on the bill, saying the measure “strongly affirms my commitment to our national security.”
“I’m unapologetically supportive of our national defense and the trans community. I strongly reject the speaker’s performative show vote,” Fetterman said in a statement after the vote. “My vote does not, in any way, diminish my voice or mean I’m turning my back on the trans community. Outside my office I have several flags including the POW/MIA flag and the Progress Pride flag — because these are not incompatible values.”
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., also voted yes.
Fetterman and Casey also supported the defense bill a year ago, as did U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Aspinwall, when it came up in the House. But Deluzio voted no this time around, as did U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, and most House Democrats. Only six House Democrats voted for the legislation, which passed, 217-199.
A year ago, more House Democrats (163) than Republicans (147) supported the annual policy bill, which was approved, 310-118. Among those voting yes were Western Pennsylvania’s three House GOP members — Mike Kelly of Butler, Guy Reschenthaler of Peters, and Glenn Thompson of Centre. Lee was the only area Democrat who opposed the bill.
In explaining his no vote this time around, Deluzio, a veteran who sits on the House Armed Services Committee that wrote the legislation, cited the absence of provisions he championed to increase oversight of defense spending.
“We all pay for our military, and too often defense contractors rip us off, facing little competition and prioritizing their profits over our shared national defense,” Deluzio said in a statement. “We are paying too much for products that are often behind schedule, overpriced, and aren’t good enough for our military.”
The Senate vote sends the bill to President Joe Biden for his signature. The transgender provision led the American Civil Liberties Union to urge Mr. Biden to veto it.
“By passing this bill, the House and Senate are forcing thousands of active-duty service members to choose between their careers in the military and the future of their transgender children,” said Mike Zamore, the ACLU’s national director of policy and government affairs.
