House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) on Tuesday lamented the inclusion of a provision banning coverage of gender-affirming care for minors in the annual defense authorization bill, saying that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) did not consult him about it.

While Rogers did not oppose the underlying policy, he argued that the provision, which is fueling partisan division over the historically bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), was unnecessary given President-elect Trump will soon return to the White House.

“[Trump] is going to stop all these social, cultural issues from being embedded as policies. So my point is, I don't know why this is in the bill when January 20, it's a moot point,” Rogers said on Tuesday.

Asked if he thought Johnson should not have inserted the provision, Rogers said: “He didn’t talk to me about it.”

“My preference would have been that we just let the President, on January........

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