Democrats in a bind over defense bill that bans transgender surgeries for minors but boosts enlisted pay

The House is set to vote on its must-pass yearly defense bill that would see junior enlisted troops score a significant pay increase and would work to eliminate DEI programs within the Pentagon.

The $895.2 billion represents a 1% increase over last year’s budget, a smaller number than some defense hawks would have liked. 

A significant portion of the legislation focused on quality-of-life improvements for service members amid record recruitment issues, a focus of much bipartisan discussion over the last year. That includes a 14.5% pay increase for junior enlisted troops and increasing access to child care for service members while also providing job support to military spouses.

The measure authorizes a 4.5% across-the-board pay raise for all service members starting Jan. 1.