WASHINGTON: A divided House voted on Thursday to restrict abortion access, bar transgender health services and limit diversity training for military personnel, potentially imperiling passage of the annual defence bill as Republicans, goaded by their right flank, loaded the measure with conservative policy dictates.
The House voted 221-213 to overturn a Pentagon policy guaranteeing abortion access to service members regardless of where they are stationed, with Republicans propelling it to passage over near-unanimous Democratic opposition. By a vote of 222-211, the House also adopted a measure to bar the military’s health plan from covering gender-transition surgeries and gender-affirming hormone therapy. And the chamber voted 214-213 to eliminate the Pentagon’s offices of diversity, equity along with all of their personnel. Taken together, the series of changes – which hard-right lawmakers had demanded be put on the floor as a condition for allowing the legislation to move forward – threatened to sap critical Democratic support for the annual defence policy measure, an $886 billion bill that would grant a 5.2% pay raise to military personnel, and establish a special inspector general to oversee US aid to Ukraine.
The House voted 221-213 to overturn a Pentagon policy guaranteeing abortion access to service members regardless of where they are stationed, with Republicans propelling it to passage over near-unanimous Democratic opposition. By a vote of 222-211, the House also adopted a measure to bar the military’s health plan from covering gender-transition surgeries and gender-affirming hormone therapy. And the chamber voted 214-213 to eliminate the Pentagon’s offices of diversity, equity along with all of their personnel. Taken together, the series of changes – which hard-right lawmakers had demanded be put on the floor as a condition for allowing the legislation to move forward – threatened to sap critical Democratic support for the annual defence policy measure, an $886 billion bill that would grant a 5.2% pay raise to military personnel, and establish a special inspector general to oversee US aid to Ukraine.