WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Wednesday passed a $895 billion measure that authorizes a 1% increase in defense spending this fiscal year and would give a double-digit pay raise to about half of the enlisted service members in the military.
The bill is traditionally strongly bipartisan, but some Democratic lawmakers opposed the inclusion of a ban on transgender medical treatments for children of military members if such treatment could result in sterilization.
The bill passed the House by a vote of 281-140 and will next move to the Senate, where lawmakers had sought a bigger boost in defense spending than the current measure allows.
Lawmakers are touting the bill's 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5% increase for others as key to improving the quality of life for those serving in the U.S. military. Those serving as junior enlisted personnel are in pay grades that generally track with their first enlistment term.
Lawmakers said service member pay has failed to remain competitive with the private sector, forcing many military families to rely on food banks and government assistance programs to put food on the table. The bill also provides significant new resources for child care and housing.
“No service member should have to live in squalid conditions and no military family should have to rely on food stamps to feed their children, but that's exactly what many of our service members are experiencing, especially the junior enlisted,” said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. “This bill goes a long way to fixing that.”
The bill sets key Pentagon policy that lawmakers will attempt to fund through a follow-up appropriations bill. The overall spending tracks the numbers established in a 2023 agreement that then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached with President Joe Biden to increase the nation’s borrowing authority and avoid a federal default in exchange for spending restraints. Many senators had wanted to increase defense spending some $25 billion above what was called for in that agreement, but those efforts failed.
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who is expected to serve as the next chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the overall spending level was a “tremendous loss for our national defense," though he agreed with many provisions within the bill.
“We need to make a generational investment to deter the Axis of Aggressors. I will not cease work with my congressional colleagues, the Trump administration, and others until we achieve it,” Wicker said.
House Republicans don't want to go above the McCarthy-Biden agreement for defense spending and are looking to go way below it for many non-defense programs.
They are also focused on cultural issues. The bill prohibits funding for teaching critical race theory in the military and prohibits TRICARE health plans from covering gender dysphoria treatment for children under 18 if that treatment could result in sterilization.
Rep. Adam Smith of Washington state, the ranking Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee, said minors dealing with gender dysphoria is a "very real problem." He said the treatments available, including puberty blockers and hormone therapy, have proven effective at helping young people dealing with suicidal thoughts, anxiety and depression.
“These treatments changed their lives and in many cases saved their lives,” Smith said. “And in this bill, we decided we're going to bar servicemembers' children from having access to that.”
Smith said the number of minors in service member families receiving transgender medical care extends into the thousands. He could have supported a study asking medical experts to determine whether such treatments are too often used, but a ban on health insurance coverage went too far. He said Speaker Mike Johnson's office insisted upon the ban and said the provision “taints an otherwise excellent piece of legislation.”
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, called the ban a step in the right direction, saying, “I think these questions need to be pulled out of the debate of defense, so we can get back to the business of defending the United States of America without having to deal with social engineering debates.”
Smith said he agrees with Roy that lawmakers should be focused on the military and not on cultural conflicts, “and yet, here it is in this bill.”
Branden Marty, a Navy veteran who served for 13 years, said the loss of health coverage for transgender medical treatments could prompt some with valuable experience to leave the military, affecting national security because “we already struggle from a recruiting and retention standpoint.” He also said the bill could regularly force service members into difficult choices financially.
“It will be tough for a lot of them because of out-of-pocket expenses, especially enlisted members who we know already struggle with food insecurity,” said Marty, the father of a transgender teenager. “They don’t get paid very much, so they’re going to be making a lot of choices on a day-to-day, tactical level.”
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, said his team was not telling Democrats how to vote on the bill.
“There's a lot of positive things in the National Defense Authorization Act that were negotiated in a bipartisan way, and there are some troubling provisions in a few areas as well,” Jeffries said.
Overall, 81 Democrats ended up voting for the bill and 124 against it. On the Republican side, 200 voted for the bill and 16 against.
“It’s disappointing to see 124 of my Democrat colleagues vote against our brave men and women in uniform over policies that have nothing to do with their intended mission,” Johnson said.
The defense policy bill also looks to strengthen deterrence against China. It calls for investing $15.6 billion to build military capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region. The Biden administration had requested about $10 billion.
On Israel, the bill, among other things, includes an expansion of U.S. joint military exercises with Israel and a prohibition on the Pentagon citing casualty data from Hamas.
The defense policy bill is one of the final measures that lawmakers view as a must-pass before making way for a new Congress in January.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., responds to reporters during his weekly news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The Department of Defense logo is seen on the wall in the Press Briefing room at the Pentagon on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024 in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — Officials in Southern California reported significant overnight growth of a wind-driven wildfire that has forced thousands of people, including celebrities like Cher and Dick Van Dyke, from their homes in Malibu, but forecasters said firefighters could get a break Wednesday from improving weather conditions.
With much of the coastal city under evacuation orders and warnings, residents waited anxiously to see whether their properties had been spared by the fire, which erupted late Monday and grew to more than 6 square miles (16 square kilometers). It was just 7% contained.
More than 1,500 firefighters were battling the blaze, with many climbing through steep canyons near lines of flames and others hosing down collapsed roofs of horse stables and charred homes. Aircraft dropped water and flame retardant.
The National Weather Service said the strongest Santa Ana winds, with gusts that reached 40 mph (64 kph), have passed.
Even as the weather was expected to improve, forecasters said gusty winds will continue through Wednesday morning, especially in the mountains, and critical fire conditions remain. Santa Anas are notorious seasonal winds are withering, dry gusts that sweep out of the interior toward the coast, pushing back moist ocean breezes.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony C. Marrone said the blaze, dubbed the Franklin Fire, grew by nearly 40% overnight. At least 7,500 structures, mostly homes, were threatened, with at least 12,600 people under evacuation orders, officials said.
Much of the devastation occurred in Malibu, a community of about 10,000 people on the western edge of Los Angeles known for its stunning bluffs and Zuma Beach, which features in many Hollywood films. Flames burned near horse farms, celebrities’ seaside mansions, and Pepperdine University, where students were forced to shelter in place on campus for a second night Tuesday.
Faculty members are determining how best to complete the semester, which ends at Pepperdine this week. Final exams were postponed or canceled, depending on the class, university spokesperson Michael Friel said. An early analysis showed little to no damage to structures on campus, the university said.
Shawn Smith said he was asleep early Tuesday when someone knocked on his RV to wake him up to evacuate the Malibu RV Park around 3 a.m.
“You could see the fires rolling in, in over the canyon. It was like ‘Holy crap, this is real,’ ” he said.
He returned Wednesday to find that the RV park had been saved — firefighters stopped the flames just before they entered the area. But for hours, Smith said no one knew whether they’d return to rubble.
“We got lucky,” he said.
It's unclear how the blaze started. Marrone said seven structures had been destroyed and nine others had been damaged.
Lonnie Vidaurri’s four-bedroom home in the Malibu Knolls neighborhood is one of the seven destroyed. After evacuating to a hotel in Santa Monica with his wife and two young daughters, a neighbor called to tell Vidaurri that firefighters would need to break into his house.
“It’s pretty torched all around,” said Vidaurri, 53. He expects that the family’s pet bunnies did not survive the fire, and that they lost most of their things. “My girls cried, obviously, but it could have been worse.”
Vidaurri is already looking for a temporary home to rent close to Malibu, where his daughters go to school. He thinks it will be at least six months until they can start to do repairs, and isn’t expecting much help from insurance — he only has a basic fire policy with California’s insurer of last resort. “I don’t even know anybody with insurance in Malibu anymore,” he said.
In his 10 years living here, Vidaurri has experienced four fire evacuations. “I would say you’re kind of numb when you’re in Malibu, you just realize that this is part of the equation.”
Susanna Savee, who manages the Lucky Bee Ranch in Malibu, said they are not located in a mandatory evacuation zone yet but moved their livestock — miniature cows, goats, and donkeys — to Pierce College’s large animal shelter Tuesday evening just in case.
“We wanted to make sure we could get them out before last minute,” Savee said.
Van Dyke, one of many celebrities with homes in Malibu, said in a Facebook post that he and his wife, Arlene Silver, evacuated as the fire swept in. Although the couple and most of their animals evacuated safely, one of their cats, Bobo, escaped as they were leaving. “We’re praying he’ll be OK and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires," he wrote.
Cher evacuated from her Malibu home when ordered and is staying at a hotel, her publicist, Liz Rosenberg, said Tuesday.
The fire erupted shortly before 11 p.m. Monday and swiftly moved south, jumping over the famous Pacific Coast Highway and extending all the way to the ocean, where large homes line the beach and rugged inland canyons are notoriously fire-prone.
Alec Gellis, 31, stayed behind Monday night to save his home in Malibu’s Serra Retreat neighborhood from the flames. He used pumps in the home’s swimming pool to help spray water over the house and surrounding vegetation, turning the lush area “into a rainforest.”
Gellis said there were flames within 5 feet (1.5 meters) of the home on all sides. “The whole canyon was completely lit up.”
Utilities preemptively shut off power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses, starting Monday night, to mitigate the impacts of the Santa Ana winds, whose strong gusts can damage electrical equipment and spark wildfires. As of Wednesday morning, electricity was still out for about 13,500 Southern California Edison customers, including more than 6,000 in the Malibu area, said utility spokesperson Gabriela Ornelas. She said power was first shut off to most customers in Malibu around 6 or 7 p.m. on Monday.
The Woolsey Fire that roared through the area in 2018, killing three people and destroying 1,600 homes, was sparked by Edison equipment. Asked Wednesday if Edison equipment was involved in the Franklin Fire, Ornelas referred all questions regarding the cause to fire officials.
This story has been corrected to show that Shawn Smith lives in an RV, not a mobile home.
Weber reported from Los Angeles and Aoun reported from San Diego. Associated Press journalists Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles; Amy Taxin in Orange County, California; Sarah Brumfield in Washington; and Eric Thayer, Damian Dovarganes and Jaimie Ding in Malibu, California, contributed to this report.
A mountain top overlooking the Pacific Ocean is scarred after the Franklin Fire swept through Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Retardant is dropped onto the Franklin Fire Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
A road signed is burned after the Franklin Fire swept through Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
A road signed is burned after the Franklin Fire swept through Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Water is dropped onto the Franklin Fire by helicopter, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
A resident sifts through their fire-damage property after the Franklin Fire swept through, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Burned outdoor furniture is left behind on a property after the Franklin Fire swept through, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Firefighters work at a home devastated by the Franklin Fire in Malibu, Calif., Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A resident sifts through their fire-damage property after the Franklin Fire swept through, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A firefighter works at a home devastated by the Franklin Fire in Malibu, Calif., Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A firefighter carries a water hose while tackling the Franklin Fire in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Two firefighters watch the Franklin Fire as it approaches a building in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A firefighter watches the Franklin Fire as smoke fills the air in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Two firefighters are engulfed in smoke from the Franklin Fire in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Two firefighters put out flames while battling the Franklin Fire in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Vegetation around the Phillips Theme Tower at Pepperdine University is scorched by the Franklin Fire in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Screen writer and actress Sarah Newcome expresses her gratitude to God during sunset as a plume of smoke from the Franklin Fire rises over the ocean Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
Malibu residents Florence Johnson and her son Brian enjoy the beach before sunset as a plume of smoke from the Franklin Fire rises over the ocean Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A vehicle burns during the Franklin Fire on the campus of Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Fire trucks are parked along Pacific Coast Highway as smoke from the Franklin Fire fills the air in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Embers fly as the Franklin Fire burns in Malibu, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Firefighters protect a structure as the Franklin Fire approaches in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
The sun sets under a plume of smoke from the Franklin Fire rising over the ocean Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A firefighter hoses down hot spots around a fire-ravaged property after the Franklin Fire swept through Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)
Students sleep on couches on the Pepperdine University campus, where a makeshift shelter was set up as the Franklin Fire closed in Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
A firefighter sprays water on a home as it burns in the Franklin Fire in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Water is dropped by helicopter onto the Franklin Fire, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Firefighters battle the Franklin Fire in Malibu, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Firefighting helicopters fill their water tanks from a pond on the campus of Pepperdine University while battling the Franklin Fire on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (Hans Gutknecht/The Orange County Register via AP)
Firefighters are pushed back by gusty winds while removing fuel around the faculty and staff residences at Pepperdine University as the Franklin Fire approaches in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A woman evacuates a horse as the Franklin Fire burns in Malibu, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
The Franklin Fire sends a plume of smoke into the sky Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Embers fly in gusty winds as two Los Angeles County firefighters battle the Franklin Fire at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Flames erupt on a mountain as the Franklin Fire burns in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Firefighters battle the Franklin Fire in Malibu, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Firefighters battle the Franklin Fire in Malibu, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Students evacuate from Pepperdine University as the Franklin Fire burns in Malibu, Calif., on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
A car drives past flames from the Franklin Fire at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
Firefighters battle the Franklin Fire in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
