Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter{beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security   The Big Story  Senate clears defense bill after Democratic opposition  The Senate passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on a 85-14 vote. © AP The NDAA faced resistance from some Democrats who were concerned about an amendment that restricted the children of servicemembers from receiving gender-affirming care.  In the House last week, lawmakers cleared the defense bill on a 281-140 vote, with a majority of Democrats objecting to the legislation.  Ahead of the Senate vote, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) led 20 other senators in introducing an amendment to rescind the transgender amendment, but it failed to pass.  With passage of the NDAA, some military service organizations and LGBTQ rights groups expressed alarm about restrictions on the transgender community. Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson said that military families "deserve to be treated with respect and trusted to make decisions about their own families’ health care needs." "A majority in the Senate failed those families today, thousands of whom now face the possibility of losing access to medically necessary care," Robinson said in a statement. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the NDAA "is not perfect.""But it still makes several important advances Democrats fought for to secure America’s national defense and take a strong stand against the Chinese Communist Party," he said on the floor ahead of the vote. Republicans touted the culture war amendments passed in the NDAA, including the restriction on the transgender community.  "I am proud of the conservative wins we were able to deliver in this year’s NDAA for Alabama and our great military,” said Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.). “Under Joe Biden, the Pentagon has been more focused on woke politics than on being a lethal killing machine."  Baldwin argued that lawmakers had broken their commitment to servicemembers and that the transgender amendment would affect up to 7,000 people. "Some folks poisoned this bill and turned their backs on those in service and the people that we represent," she said. The  $895 billion NDAA has some bipartisan proposals, among them: a 14.5 percent raise for junior-enlisted servicemembers and funds to bolster the U.S. presence in the Indo-Pacific and build new warships and planes.  Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is among some lawmakers who want to increase the size of the Pentagon budget, despite it approaching nearly a trillion dollars. He spoke out against "artificial budget restraints."  "For all the talk about growing threats to America’s national security, it’s past time for an honest conversation about the military requirements to meet those needs," McConnell said. President Biden is expected to sign the bill into law and ensure the NDAA has been passed for 60 years straight. Read more here.   Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Brad Dress — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.  Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.   Essential Reads  How policy will affect defense and national security now and inthe future:  Tom Cruise awarded highest Navy honor for a civilianHollywood star Tom Cruise has been awarded the U.S. Navy’s top civilian honor, the Distinguished Public Service Award. On Tuesday, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro presented the 62-year-old actor with the award for outstanding contributions to the Navy and the Marine Corps at Longcross Studios near London. “Tom Cruise has spent nearly four decades as an unwavering supporter of the men, women and families of …  Full Story  FBI: Pilots of aircraft misidentified as drones hit by lasersPilots of aircraft that have been misidentified as drones — amid an uptick of mysterious sightings in recent days — have been hit in the eyes with lasers, the FBI revealed Monday. “FBI Newark and New Jersey State Police want to warn the public about an increase in pilots of manned aircraft being hit in the eyes with lasers because people on the ground think they see an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS),” the FBI’s field office …  Full Story  Kenyan prisoner released from Guantánamo after 18 years without charges A Kenyan prisoner was released from the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay on Tuesday after spending more than a decade imprisoned without charges. Mohammed Abdul Malik Bajabu, 51, served 17 years at Guantánamo following accusations of involvement with al Qaeda’s attack on tourists in East Africa ...  Full Story   On Our Radar  Upcoming things we're watching on our beat:  China now has 600 nuclear warheads, and its military is struggling to modernize because of corruption. Check out our story unpacking a new Pentagon report on China's military here.   In Other News  Branch out with a different read from The Hill:Senate to act on drone-tracking bill empowering state, local authorities Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) says the Senate will act Wednesday on a bipartisan bill to provide authority and resources for state and local authorities to track mysterious drones that have been spotted over New Jersey, New York and other states, causing a national uproar. Schumer, … Full Story   On Tap Tomorrow  Events in and around the defense world:  The Mitchell Aerospace Institute chats with Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall for a 10 a.m. ET online chat. The Atlantic Council looks at Russia's losses in Syria for a 12:30 p.m. online event. The Center for Strategic and International Studies assesses the future of democracy and human rights in U.S. foreign policy during a 10 a.m. online event. The Hudson Institute talks with the Pentagon's Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer Radha Plumb for a 1:30 p.m. in-person event. The German Marshall Fund examines Syria's future for a 10 a.m. online event.  What We're Reading  News we've flagged from other outlets: How Tucker Carlson killed Mike Pompeo’s hopes of joining the Trump administration (The Wall Street Journal) NATO takes over coordination of military aid to Kyiv from US, source says (Reuters)  Trending Today  Two key stories on The Hill right now: Johnson considers plan B amid Trump World opposition to spending deal Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is looking at a plan B to fund the government ahead of Friday’s shutdown deadline as Republicans inside and outside the … Read more Social Security bill clears first hurdle in Senate  The Senate is plowing forward with consideration of the Social Security Fairness Act, clearing its first procedural hurdle on what supporters hope … Read more  Opinions in The Hill Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: How worried should the public be over the mysterious Northeast drones?  How Ukraine can help accelerate US defense technology  You're all caught up. 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