Yea... Why do anything with support...

House Republicans pass hard-right defense bill as Dems sit out

The vote marks the third year in a row that House Republicans have muscled through a Pentagon bill with little Democratic support.

Connor O'Brien

The House narrowly passed its major Pentagon policy bill Wednesday after Republicans attached hard-right provisions and shut down debates Democrats sought on the president’s unorthodox use of the military.

Just 17 Democrats supported the National Defense Authorization Act, while all but four Republicans backed the bill. It marks the third consecutive year that House Republicans have steered the defense bill rightward, passing the typically bipartisan measure without much help from Democrats. The final vote was 231-196.

Democrats had argued that GOP proposals, such as limiting transgender medical care and restricting some renewable energy efforts, would undermine the bipartisan measure produced by the House Armed Services Committee.

“We didn’t get any of the amendments and the debates that we wanted; not a single solitary one,” said Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. “Meanwhile, all manner of different issues that are pure culture war partisan issues were allowed in. I fear that many of those are going to pass.”

The most controversial policy provisions stand little chance of clearing the Senate, where bipartisan support is needed to advance legislation. The upper chamber is considering its own bipartisan defense bill, which could pass in the coming days.