The House on Thursday voted on dozens of controversial amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Thursday evening and adopted several that could imperil passage of the must-pass bill.
They include limits to diversity initiatives and prohibitions on gender-affirming care.
And, in a particularly bruising blow to the overall bill’s chances, the GOP approved a rollback of a Pentagon abortion policy.
A series of five proposals to limit U.S. involvement in Ukraine failed, however, with large swaths of the GOP voting with Democrats in opposition.
After initially expecting the battle to stretch into next week, the House Rules Committee met overnight Wednesday to approve a rule that makes 80 amendments in order — many of which could severely complicate House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) task of securing final passage of the annual $886 billion defense bill.
The House has adjourned on Thursday but will return to the NDAA on Friday.
Catch up on what happened Thursday below.
The top three Democrats in the House announced late Thursday night that they will vote against the annual defense bill, signaling that a large chunk of the Democratic Caucus will oppose the must-pass legislation when it comes to the floor for a final vote on Friday.
The announcement from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) came shortly after the chamber approved a number of conservative amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), including ones pertaining to hot-button issues like abortion, transgender rights and diversity and inclusion initiatives.
“Extreme MAGA Republicans have chosen to hijack the historically bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act to continue attacking reproductive freedom and jamming their right-wing ideology down the throats of the American people,” the Democratic trio wrote in a joint statement.
— Mychael Schnell
The House has adjourned until 9 a.m. Friday.
The House has completed its series of 14 amendment votes. It is expected to be the final vote series on Thursday.
An amendment from Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) to prohibit using federal funds for training on diversity, equity and inclusion was rejected Thursday in a 210-221 vote.
Nine Republicans voted with all Democrats against the measure.
While this amendment failed, several other proposals to limit diversity measures at the Pentagon have passed on Thursday.
The New Democrat Coalition, which represents nearly 100 center-left Democrats, said its members would vote against the NDAA.
“Speaker McCarthy had a choice this week: work with Members on both sides of the aisle to pass a serious bill that protects our national security or kowtow to the most extreme elements of his party and engage in culture wars,” the group led by Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.) wrote.
Pointing to amendments passed earlier Thursday, she added, “While there is a lot to be proud of in this legislation, these extremist attacks force us to oppose the bill.”
The group vowed to “continue working with our Senate colleagues and reasonable Republicans to get a bill done before the end of the year that truly keeps us safe at home and abroad.”
The House rejected an amendment from Reps. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) and Chip Roy (R-Texas) that “expresses a sense of Congress that the US should not continue subsidizing NATO member countries who choose not to invest in their own defense by meeting” established financial contribution targets.
The vote was 212-218, with two Democrats voting to support the measure and eight Republicans voting against it.
An amendment to prohibit the transfer of cluster munitions to Ukraine was rejected after splitting both parties.
The measure failed 147-276-2, with 98 Republicans and 49 Democrats voting in favor and 121 Republicans and 155 Democrats voting against it.
President Biden this week authorized the transfer of cluster bombs to Ukraine. They arrived there on Thursday.
Cluster bombs are highly controversial munitions that are outlawed by more than 100 nations because of the long-lasting risk they pose to civilians. Explosions from the devices indiscriminately disperse hundreds of projectiles over a larger area, some of which may not explode on impact.
A proposal to prohibit using federal funds to rename military bases was rejected.
The amendment was offered by Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) and failed on a 177-253 vote.
Forty-one Republicans voted with every Democrat against the measure.
The Department of Defense has been carrying out a program to rename military bases named after confederate leaders.
An amendment from Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) to prohibit Defense Department schools from having “pornographic and radical gender ideology books in their libraries” was adopted 222-209.
Two Democrats voted with every Republican in favor of the measure.
On a second vote, Rep. Ralph Norman’s (R-Okla.) anti-DEI amendment was adopted 214-213.
Four Republicans again voted against the measure.
The House is now voting for a second time on the amendment from Rep. Ralph Norman (R-Okla.) that had been rejected moments earlier in a tie vote.
An amendment from Rep. Ralph Norman (R-Okla.) to eliminate any offices of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within the Department of Defense was rejected.
The vote was tied at 216-216, which means the proposal was not adopted.
Four Republicans voted against the measure.
Good ‘hoping to get to yes’ on NDAA
A proposed amendment from Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) that would prohibit the Pentagon from requiring training in certain “race-based concepts” was adopted 214-210.
It was the first of 14 votes still to come tonight.
The House has started its final vote series of the night, which will include votes on 14 amendments.