Biden Signs $895 Billion Defense Bill for 2025 with 1% Increase, Pay Raises, Opposes Transgender Care Restrictions

Dec 24, 2024, 03:38 AM

President Joe Biden has signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025, authorizing a defense budget of $895 billion, which represents a 1% increase from the previous fiscal year. The bill, which passed both the House and Senate, includes a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members and a 4.5% increase for others. It aims to counter China's growing power, including establishing a fund that could be used to send military resources to Taiwan, and invests in new military technologies such as artificial intelligence. The legislation also extends the ban on the military purchasing Chinese goods, from garlic in military commissaries to drone technology. However, Biden expressed strong opposition to a provision within the bill that prohibits medical treatment for transgender military dependents under 18, stating that it undermines the military's ability to recruit and retain talent and interferes with parental rights. Additionally, the president criticized other provisions that restrict the transfer of detainees from Guantánamo Bay to certain foreign countries and into the U.S.