Republican Congressman Mike Rogers said Tuesday that he disagrees with the move to ban transgender procedures for military children in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), arguing that president-elect Donald Trump could resolve the issue upon taking office. Rogers, Chair of the House Armed Services Committee, told The Hill’s Emily Brooks that he does not think that the NDAA should include such a provision, saying that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), “Didn’t talk to me about it.” He argued that the NDAA is historically bipartisan. “My preference would have been that we just let the president, on Jan. 20, deal with these,” the Alabama Republican said, “which he’s already indicated he’s going to do.” “[Trump] is going to stop all these social, cultural issues from being embedded as policies,” he added. “So my point is, I don’t know why this is in the bill when Jan. 20, it’s a moot point.” The Daily Wire reported Saturday that Congress will ban the use of taxpayer funds for gender transition surgeries for children who get their medical care through the military’s health care program. This year’s NDAA includes language that prohibits coverage under TRICARE of transgender procedures that could “result in sterilization” of children. Johnson told The Daily Wire on Saturday that the NDAA provision is a “critical and necessary step” in the fight against “radical gender ideology.” “Taxpayer dollars should never be used to support procedures and treatments that could permanently harm and sterilize young people,” Johnson told The Daily Wire. “In this year’s NDAA, we’re taking a critical and necessary step to protect the children of American service members from radical gender ideology and experimental drugs.” He further promised: “House Republicans will continue to take action to protect America’s kids.” The provision comes amid a push for legislation banning these sorts of procedures across the country. The Supreme Court heard arguments earlier this month over Tennessee’s law that outlaws sex-change procedures for minors, and appears poised to uphold it. In the U.S. Senate, a Republican proposed legislation for a federal ban. Rogers’s remarks prompted outrage from the American Principles Project’s Terry Schilling, who tweeted Tuesday: “Sex change procedures should never be funded by taxpayers. Especially in our military. But most especially FOR CHILDREN. Shame on MIKE ROGERS for hurting kids.” I am once again asking Republicans to check their watches so they know what time it is. pic.twitter.com/xBPkHdhYYn — Terry Schilling ?? (@Schilling1776) December 10, 2024 Rogers did not respond to requests for comment from The Daily Wire.

Cher, Dick Van Dyke and other celebrities were forced to evacuate their homes on Tuesday after a wind-swept fire engulfed portions of the Southern California community of Malibu. In a post on Facebook, the 98-year-old legendary actor said that he and his wife Arlene had safely evacuated their homes as the Franklin fire blazed through the area. “Arlene and I have safely evacuated with our animals except for Bobo [their cat] escaped as we were leaving,” the famed actor, who turns 99 on December 13, wrote. Dick Van Dyke, Cher among stars to flee Malibu homes as raging brushfire rips through Southern California https://t.co/8XCjB3DZ7M pic.twitter.com/2dXCHAfJWH — New York Post (@nypost) December 11, 2024 “We’re praying he’ll be OK and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires,” he added. A publicist for Cher, Liz Rosenberg, told the Associated Press that the singer/actress had left her home as ordered and was staying in a hotel. Barbara Streisand also has a home in the area and a spokesperson for her told The New York Times she didn’t have to evacuate yet. The brush fire started around 11 p.m. on Monday night and thanks to the strong Santa Ana winds, the fire grew to six square miles and was just 7% contained on Tuesday, the AP noted. CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE “The deep and rugged terrain, along with the strong winds and low humidity, continue to pose challenges for firefighters,” the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, said in an incident update. However, officials noted that a change in the weather on Wednesday could help them significantly. “We’re far better off this morning than we were in the last 30-plus hours,” Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart said at a Wednesday news conference. Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony C. Marrone said that more than 7,500 structures, mostly homes, were threatened, with more than ten thousand people under evacuation orders. Much of the fire has not only consumed the area with celebrities’ mansions, but also affected Pepperdine University. A spokesperson for the university, Michael Friel, said Wednesday morning, “You literally could see the flames from the top of the hill from campus.” The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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