Combat Vet Pat Ryan Switches Vote to ‘No’ on Defense Spending Bill After GOP Social Issue Amendments: ‘An Insult to All Who Serve’

The House of Representatives passed the defense spending bill Friday with a vote of 219 to 210, mostly along party lines, but some members couldn’t get past the social policy issues added to the bill by hardliner Republicans.

Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) told CNN’s Manu Raju that he was set to vote “yes” before abortion and transgender care access amendments caused him to change his mind.

“I am a proud combat veteran — this is an insult to all who serve, particularly women in uniform. Nearly 20% of our active military force risk their life right now,” Ryan said.

According to Raju, most Democrats like Ryan had initially decided to vote for the bill, but some “ultimately decided not to because of some significant changes that were made during the social policy issues that were added to this bill through the amendment process.”

Raju ran down a list of the issues some members said they couldn’t support:

One…would would nix the Pentagon’s policy providing reimbursements for abortion services for military service members or their family to go out of state where the procedure is banned. Also, other issues such as targeting transgender rights, namely transgender health care for veterans — that would be eliminated as part of this bill. Also, it would eliminate diversity and equity training programs as part of the Pentagon, and also no longer allow…Defense Department schools to have so-called ‘gender ideology books.’ Those were all pushed by members of the far Right — that cost Democratic support.

According to CBS News, The $886 billion bill is a “must pass” because it sets Defense Department policy.

“While the package typically earns wide bipartisan support and has passed Congress each year for more than six decades, this year’s proposal became ensnared in politically-charged policy debates dividing Republicans and Democrats,” CBS reported.

The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate, where Raju said a partisan fight is sure to ensue.

“The Senate has its own bill that does not have the social policy issues in it; this is going to be a big fight between the Senate and the House in the months ahead,” Raju said. “And, this is such a significant bill, one that passes year after year, setting military policy. Can they reconcile the two chambers, can they get the White House to sign it into law?”

Watch the clip above via CNN.