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The House approved a contentious amendment Tuesday evening by a razor-thin 215-214 margin that would presume military installation commanders will grant requests from qualified service members and Pentagon civilian workers to carry personal firearms on base. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Crank of Colorado, does not automatically permit weapons but instead creates a default approval process rather than the current presumption of denial. Three Democrats crossed party lines to support the proposal, while three Republicans and independent Rep. Kevin Kiley of California voted against it.
The amendment surfaced less than one year after an Army sergeant allegedly discharged a personal handgun at Fort Stewart, Georgia in August 2025, wounding five fellow soldiers who were ultimately unharmed after other service members intervened. Military regulations at that installation prohibited personal firearms on the property at the time of the incident, according to Pentagon officials.
Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina introduced two additional amendments addressing military transgender policies that advanced through the chamber Tuesday. One measure passed 219-208 to prohibit TRICARE military health insurance from covering transition-related hormones, puberty blockers and surgical procedures for service members and their dependents, effectively expanding existing Trump administration restrictions into permanent federal law. Five Democrats voted in favor while one Republican opposed.
A second Mace amendment barring transgender girls from competing on girls’ sports teams at Department of Defense Education Activity schools cleared the chamber 221-203. Conversely, an amendment from Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado seeking to codify President Donald Trump’s 2025 executive order excluding transgender individuals from military service failed 217-212, with four Republicans joining Democratic opposition.
The House also rejected an effort by Rep. Eli Crane of Arizona to substantially reduce funding for the Pentagon’s Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, though 76 Republicans supported the proposal, indicating persistent GOP skepticism toward Ukrainian military aid. Lawmakers defeated a separate amendment that would have eliminated foreign national participation in American military academies by a decisive 360-61 vote.
The underlying fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act would authorize approximately $1.15 trillion in defense spending, roughly $252 billion above fiscal year 2026 appropriations. The legislation provides service member pay raises between 5 and 7 percent and accelerates investment in emerging defense technologies including hypersonics, autonomous systems and missile defense capabilities.
The Senate’s version of the defense bill faced its own complications after Democrats blocked consideration last week to protest the Trump administration’s military operations against Iran. The White House has requested an $87.6 billion supplemental package, including $67.1 billion designated for defense requirements related to the conflict.
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