Speaker Mike Johnson’s office has shared key conservative achievements included in the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (FY25 NDAA), following extensive negotiations he and Chairman Mike Rogers led with their policy teams.
The bill, set for review and a vote by House Republicans, includes major policy victories aligned with conservative values. It avoids expanding embryo-destructive in vitro fertilization (IVF) and prohibits the surgical mutilation and chemical sterilization of minors through “transgender” procedures.
Below are the primary highlights sent via a press release to CatholicVote:
- Permanent Prohibition on Transgender Medical Treatments for Minors:
The legislation enforces a permanent prohibition on transgender medical interventions, such as surgeries and hormone treatments, for individuals under 18 years of age. - Prohibition on Contracts with Advertising Firms Blacklisting Conservative News Sources:
To protect the accessibility of conservative media, the bill bans the Department of Defense (DOD) from contracting with advertising agencies that discriminate against or blacklist conservative news platforms. - Abolition of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Bureaucracy:
In a move to streamline operations and remove ideologically driven programs, the NDAA dismantles the DEI infrastructure within the DOD. - Preservation of Pro-Life Values:
The bill explicitly avoids any expansion of IVF, aligning with pro-life principles.
Get the latest pro-life news and information on X (Twitter). Follow @LifeNewsHQ
The bill also claims to counter antisemitism by prohibiting the sale of goods at DOD commissaries and exchanges from entities involved in boycotts of Israel.
House Republicans have long dubbed any objection to Israeli atrocities, such as the indiscriminate killing of Palestinians, including women and children, as antisemitism. Last year Speaker Johnson passed a controversial resolution labeling anti-Zionism as antisemitism.
Antisemitism is racial hatred of those of Jewish descent, whereas anti-Zionism is opposition to Israeli-expansion ambitions, which include killing or expelling all Palestinians from the Holy Land, rebuilding the Temple, and reestablishing the Old Testament animal sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins, which stands in direct opposition to Christian faith that the world is redeemed only through Christ’s Blood.
The NDAA also has significant omissions from earlier drafts. CatholicVote’s political analysts are highlighting the critical importance of these removals, which reflect strategic victories for pro-life advocates and fiscal conservatives.
In earlier versions of the NDAA, both the House (House Resolution 8070) and Senate drafts included language that would have significantly expanded taxpayer-funded coverage for IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies (ART).
These provisions raised ethical concerns due to IVF’s association with embryo destruction and fiscal concerns over the high costs involved. The following sections from H.R. 8070 and S. 4638 were entirely excluded from the final bill (H.R. 5900):
- Section 701, which required TRICARE to provide ART, including IVF, gamete retrieval, and gamete transfer, for military members and their dependents.
- Section 705, which mandated TRICARE to cover fertility treatments, including IVF, for active-duty service members and their dependents, excluding former members.
- Section 707, which directed the DOD to assess options for establishing entitlement to IVF for members of the Armed Forces and their dependents.
- Section 627, which proposed a DOD demonstration project offering reimbursements for fertility treatments, IVF, adoption, and foster care costs for active-duty members and their dependents.
By excluding this language, Johnson and House leadership shielded taxpayers from subsidizing IVF — a practice condemned by the Church and pro-life advocates due to its disregard for embryonic life. The omission represents a significant pro-life win, ensuring that public funds will not support procedures contrary to the dignity of human life.
Another groundbreaking provision in the FY25 NDAA is the permanent prohibition on transgender medical interventions for minors. This marks the first instance of such a restriction being enshrined in federal law. The protection of minors from mutilating sexual surgeries and chemical sterilization can serve as a foundation for future legislative efforts to extend these protections, including prohibitions on federal funding for such procedures through Medicare, Title X, and other programs.
LifeNews Note: Louis Knuffke writes for CatholicVote, where this column originally appeared.
