House Republicans pass key military bill with new limits on abortion and DEI initiatives

WASHINGTON — The Republican-controlled House passed a military policy bill Friday that includes a series of conservative provisions targeting abortion and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at the Pentagon, drawing fierce objections from Democrats who mostly rejected it.

The National Defense Authorization Act passed 217-199, mostly along party lines, with just six Democrats voting for it and three conservatives breaking with the GOP to oppose it.

“This year’s NDAA will refocus our military on its core mission of defending America and its interests across the globe, fund the deployment of the National Guard to the southwest border, expedite innovation and reduce the acquisition timeline for new weaponry, support our allies, and strengthen our nuclear posture and missile defense programs,” Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a statement.

It includes a 19.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and bigger allowances for food and housing.

But the bill was also amended to include a provision that would “prohibit the Secretary of Defense from paying for or reimbursing expenses relating to abortion services” — undoing a policy the Biden administration put in place in 2022. It echoes last year’s widely condemned protest by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., who blocked military promotions for months in a failed bid to pressure the Pentagon to revoke its policy of paying travel expenses related to abortions.

While the NDAA passed out of the Armed Services Committee on an overwhelmingly bipartisan 57-1 vote, House Republicans then added several conservative amendments along party lines over the last two days once the bill made it to the House floor, making it controversial. That includes an amendment that would