Manchin walks back bizarre comment on vote for gender-affirming care restrictions in defense bill

Senator Joe Manchin, the Senator from West Virginia, told The Independent “maybe I made a mistake” when he voted on amendments that would restrict gender-affirming care for US servicemembers and their families.

Earlier this week, the Senate Armed Services Committee released its version of the National Defense Authorization Act, which would cover Fiscal Year 2025. The NDAA provides authorization to appropriate money for the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy’s nuclear weapons programs and other defense-related activities.

Republicans recently have sought to include conservative policy priorities into the bill because of its must-pass nature.

Earlier this week, the Senate Armed Services Committee released its version of the bill as it prepares for a full Senate vote.

But tucked into the bill are two amendments that would restrict gender-affirming care. One amendment would “ prohibit the coverage under the TRICARE program of certain medical procedures for children that could result in sterilization.”

TRICARE is the health care program for active duty US service members, their families, members of the US National Guard and Reserves, their families, retirees and their families as well as certain former spouses who were married to US service members. Around 9.6 million people use the program.

A second one would “prohibit the performance by the Department of Defense of sex change surgeries.”

Manchin, formerly a Democrat who recently became an independent, announced last year he would not seek re-election. The senator voted with every Republican on both amendments while every Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee voted against the amendments.

But when asked about the amendments, Manchin said he did not