What's New
The Senate approved a defense bill on Wednesday that includes substantial pay raises for junior enlisted service members and increases overall military spending to $895 billion. The legislation also eliminates coverage for transgender medical treatments for children of military personnel.
Why It Matters
The annual defense authorization bill, which has passed Congress without fail for nearly six decades, typically enjoys strong bipartisan support. In recent years, however, it has become a flashpoint for cultural debates. This year, Republicans pushed to include provisions appealing to social conservatives, leading to months of negotiations and a decline in Democratic backing.
This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.
This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available.
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About the writer
Matthew Impelli
Matthew Impelli is a Newsweek staff writer based in New York. His focus is reporting social issues and crime. In ...
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