Senate Democrats weren’t as divided over the National Defense Authorization Act as House Democrats were.
The Senate moved forward with the defense bill with overwhelming support despite the inclusion of a Republican provision prohibiting “treatment of gender dysphoria that could result in sterilization” for minors. The Senate passed the bill through its major procedural hurdle in an 83-12 vote, with a final vote on the NDAA possible as soon as Tuesday.
“It’s unfortunate that it’s in there,” Sen. Ben Cardin said of the provision for trans youth. “I very much opposed that, but it’s hard because we don’t want to bring down a whole bill. This is important for military families.”