House approves military spending bill that bans transgender ‘care’ for minors 

The House passed an $895 billion spending bill Wednesday that raises defense spending 1% this year and would boost the pay of about half the country’s enlisted service members by 10% or more, the Associated Press reported. 

The measure, which passed the House 281-140, also prohibits military health plans from paying for gender dysphoria treatment for minors if that treatment could result in sterilization, AP says. 

There’s also a ban on teaching critical race theory (CRT) in the military. 

The bill now goes to the Senate, which had sought an even greater boost to military spending, AP reports. The Democrats control that chamber, meaning some of the gender and race bans could face more difficulty. 

The National Defense Authorization Act is viewed as one of the last measures Congress must pass before a new session starts in January. 

Other provisions in the House bill include $15.6 billion to build up the military in the Pacific region to deter China; more U.S. joint military exercises with Israel; and a prohibition on the Pentagon citing casualty numbers provided by Hamas, according to the AP report.