The House just passed the nearly $884 billion package, and instead of focusing squarely on military readiness and national defense, it’s a grab bag of questionable spending priorities and half-measures. Let’s break this down.
First, they’re throwing over $102 million at “Minority Serving Institutions” and HBCUs while also financing partnerships between these schools and Sub-Saharan Africa. Sure, building international expertise sounds nice on paper, but is that really the best use of defense funding? Meanwhile, service members are being reimbursed for freezing their eggs and sperm—$500 for sperm, $10,000 for eggs—but the more practical (and expensive) step of covering in vitro fertilization was left on the cutting room floor. Great planning, folks.
And here’s the kicker: Section 709 rolls out a three-year program to cover sperm and egg cryopreservation, with the Secretary of Defense tasked to promote it during annual health exams and pre-deployment screenings. What are the requirements to qualify? Hazardous duty pay and at least 180 days of separation from a significant other. So, troops get some reproductive perks, but good luck if you want to use those frozen eggs or sperm to start a family.
But wait, it gets messier. The bill also wades into the culture wars, cutting off coverage for gender transition treatments for service members’ dependents under 18. Democrats are calling it an “unprecedented partisan move,” while Republicans are popping the champagne over ending “far-left woke nonsense.” And honestly, can we all just agree it’s overdue? Maybe now the military can focus on its actual job—defending the country—instead of being a taxpayer-funded social experiment.
Oh, and let’s not forget the DEI drama. The NDAA extends the hiring freeze on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and bans funding for Critical Race Theory programs.
The bill will head to the Senate, where more chaos undoubtedly awaits. Why should we expect Congress to prioritize the military’s actual needs when they can use defense spending as a playground for their political agendas? January 20 can’t come fast enough.
