House to vote on defense bill with gender-affirming care ban [Video]

The House is expected to vote Wednesday on the critical defense policy bill known as the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes a ban against gender-affirming care for some transgender children that has further inflamed the politics around the must-pass piece of legislation.The legislation, which was the result of a bipartisan compromise, includes a provision that would prevent the military’s health program, TRICARE, from covering gender-affirming care for transgender children of service members. The effort to prohibit these treatments to children has overshadowed some of the bipartisan provisions of the bill, including a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members. It also keeps the politically charged conversation of transgender health care on center stage, as it has been a prominent campaign issue throughout this election season.Previous efforts to legalize a ban against gender-affirming care in the final version of the NDAA failed.Democratic Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, the …