this post was submitted on 25 Dec 2024
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HRC Article:

WASHINGTON — Last night, President Biden signed the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law, which includes a provision inserted by Speaker Mike Johnson blocking healthcare for the transgender children of military servicemembers. This provision, the first anti-LGBTQ+ federal law enacted since the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, will rip medically necessary care from the transgender children of thousands of military families – families who make incredible sacrifices in defense of the country each and every day. The last anti-LGBTQ+ federal law that explicitly targeted military servicemembers was Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, which went into effect in 1994.

Biden's press release:

No service member should have to decide between their family’s health care access and their call to serve our Nation.

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[–] Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world 37 points 2 days ago (3 children)

I guess if there was any doubt before, it's gone now. Neither party is suitable. Time to really vote progressive. We need a new party that isn't deeply entrenched with whatever made hime sign that.

[–] underwire212@lemm.ee 19 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Time to do more than voting, comrade. The rule makers will never allow real change within the rules that they create.

[–] capital@lemmy.world -1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

Reps took down Roe. Do you count that as "real change"?

Edit: hm. No answer but downvotes.

[–] ArchRecord@lemm.ee 13 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Agreed, and what we really need is to actually end the duopoly by changing the voting system to a more fairly representative one like ranked-choice or rated, in the first place. Voting third party will just increase the chance of Republicans winning if that third party is left-leaning, and no third party will get a majority vote if you can't convince the vast majority of Americans to completely change their entire understanding of political parties that they've held on to for the past decades.

Just my opinion here, but the primary thing we should focus on is changing voting systems, because that's what will actually allow us to have a third party be successful in the first place.

Voting systems are extremely hard to change in most states. But progressive candidates usually support voting changes too. So two birds with one stone. It will be a painful few cycles with the Republicans winning. But they have shown they will turn on each other rather fast. And once we show we just aren't going to vote democrat or republican, momentum will build. Things can't get much worse.

[–] explodicle@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

How exactly do we focus on changing voting systems? Obviously vote for Democrats who support giving power to the people. What if they don't?

[–] ArchRecord@lemm.ee 3 points 1 day ago

It works best when you start at more local levels.

Many states already require ranked-choice voting, and that makes it easier to get progressive candidates in positions like senator, as well as non-federal state positions. Smaller state elections are much easier to change than the entirety of federal elections, and are often influenced by door knocking campaigns, various charitable organizations, and community organizing.

Hell, this can even be done at the city level. The smaller the elections get, the easier it is to change them. But the more progressive smaller elections get, the easier it is to progressively impact other systems, and then get people in federal positions of power that are open to the idea.

For now, we're effectively just stuck with what the Democrats are up for if we want any chance at actually having a better voting systems, but working up from local levels can be a very effective way to slowly push the changes on a federal level.

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Out of curiosity if I made you choose between:

  • 0% of military troops' families getting salaries and healthcare

  • 100% of military troops' families getting salaries and healthcare with the sole exception of trans care

What would you choose?

Although, honestly, since we're in hypotheticals and foresight, Biden could have let them go without pay and possibly triggered a Bonus Army type scenario where the military protests.

[–] Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world 1 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

I expect the party that ran on protecting trans kids to take a stand. But I am done supporting the democrats now.

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 1 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

So you choose 0%, wow thats sick anon.

Anything else is just the illusion of choice. They control the options. So they can always come up with something worse to set next to the option it wants. The only influence you have as a chooser is to call thier bluff. If you don't you might as well just let have whatever they want.

In this case, I hate to ask more of our service members. But I know I can count on them to fight back. Choosing zero is calling them to service once more to protect the freedom of our nation. Specifically thier freedom to use the benefit they were promised when they enlisted. And I have faith that they will rise to the occasion.

[–] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 1 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

What, do you think Congress would just not pass a NDAA?

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 1 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago) (1 children)

If they hadn't, then it likely would have led to a Bonus Army scenario. If you're not sure what that means, in 1932 tens of thousands of military servicemen and veterans gathered to protest congress and essentially force them to pay out bonds to soldiers.

We've had Government shutdowns before and this would be no different. Plus, the actual fund distribution wouldn't happen until the Appropriations bill comes later, anyways. In fact, theres a non-zero chance that Republicans rip this bill up and replace it after they gain majority and before the Appropriations bill comes.

The 118th congress is coming to an end, and changes to this bill have been in the news since June.

[–] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 2 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Oh no, a protest followed shortly thereafter by a bill that passes presidential veto. And that the Republicans have the power to do whatever they want in January is exactly why this should have been vetoed. They can do whatever evils they want, but at least then it's on them rather than further eroding the idea that Democrats will stick up for their constituent minority groups.

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 0 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

I didn't say the protest was bad, just answering your question about hypothetical outcomes.

I don't really follow your logic about vetoing this now because of the changing congress, you're saying not passing the bipartisan bill and waiting for a more conservative bill that harms more people would be your ideal?

So you're just a Republican?

[–] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 0 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (1 children)

The "bipartisan bill" doesn't protect us on anything. There's nothing stopping them from passing any measure we avoided by accepting the "imperfect" bill, so they don't need to surrender to Republican priorities when they only control 1/3rd of the current legislative process. They're going to do the "more harms" regardless of what Democrats do here. Nothing has been averted with this complicity.

Plus my expectation is that a vetoed NDAA doesn't result in a month with no NDAA until the new Congress. It's a "must pass" bill. Cancel recess.

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 0 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (1 children)

Oh, actually, this is after they talked down a ton of other Republican amendments including stripping reproductive care, denying refugees, banning CRT in military academies, etc.

But hey, the "must pass" part gives Biden the authority to sign it without Republican approval, because Republicans could actually try to drag it out to add in all of their amendments like they have been doing for many months, it doesn't literally force the congress to pass something before the time limit because there are no consequences for not doing so aside from the military going unfunded: which Republicans have demonstrated they would absolutely do.

[–] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 1 points 57 minutes ago

Oh ok, they got some of the terrible stuff out, I guess good job, call it a day! /s

WTF is wrong with you people. He doesn't need to be a king to not just roll over and accept their poison pills. "They're crazy, they'll do anything" is clearly wrong, as they back down from government shutdowns all the time. It's just a convenient excuse for people like you that, despite failure after failure after failure, think the Democrats are always on the top of their game and just lost because there were no other options.

And if Republicans refuse to write a "clean" bill... OK. If Congress can't get it together to pass something that is acceptable that just funds the military (a thing the Republicans desperately care about), then it's the same blame game that occurs every time a shutdown is imminent. A game the Republicans usually lose.

He passed the bill not because he had too, but because he didn't care enough not to. It's the same lack of courage and triangulating that plays out time and again with centrists and civil rights for minorities. In 20 years we'll all look back at the 2020s centrist triangulation and see it as shameful while the centrists will have moved on to throwing a new vulnerable group under the bus for just not being practical to defend while they don't even try to.