© Greg Nash/The Hill

The Senate and House Armed Services committees unveiled their negotiated National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) without hot-button amendments on abortion, gender-affirming health care and more that House Republicans agreed to drop.

Of note:

• The revamped bill doesn’t contain an amendment the House GOP passed earlier this year to block the Pentagon’s new paid leave policy for service members traveling for abortions.
• Also missing are amendments from the House-passed bill that sought to block the Defense Department from funding drag shows, gender-affirming health care for transgender service members and the purchase of books with certain LGBTQ themes for the department’s school system. 

• House Republicans did get some COVID-19 provisions they wanted. The bill orders the department to consider reinstating service members who were discharged for not getting vaccinated if they request reinstatement.
  • “The Senate added a secondary provision that requires those seeking reinstatement to have before submitted a request for a religious, administrative or medical exemption,” The Hill’s Brad Dress noted.

The Senate passed a motion to proceed to the NDAA, a $886 billion policy package, on Thursday. Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.) expects the chamber will pass the bill next week.

Then it’s on to the House. 

• House Republicans released their resolution to formalize the impeachment inquiry into President Biden, with a full House vote expected next week.

• Dig into how former Speaker Kevin McCarthy‘s (R-Calif.) resignation and other recent shake-ups will affect the House GOP’s slim majority here. 

• Former President Trump filed a motion seeking to halt activity in his election interference case in D.C. while a higher court considers his appeal of a judge’s decision denying his motion to toss the case.

©  AP Photo/John Minchillo

CNN will host a GOP presidential primary debate in Iowa on Jan. 10 and in New Hampshire on Jan. 21.

The events will take place days before each state’s nominating contest; Iowa’s GOP caucuses are Jan. 15, and New Hampshire’s primaries are Jan. 23. 

Related: 5 memorable moments from the fourth GOP primary debate

Saint Anselm College‘s New Hampshire Institute of Politics (NHIOP) is holding its Lesser-Known Candidate Forum for 2024 presidential candidates Thursday. Democrats took the stage at 4 p.m. ET, and Republicans are up at 5:30 p.m.

The NHIOP told us the following were attending:

Democrats: President R. Boddie, Eban Cambridge, Gabriel Cornejo, Paul V. Lacava, Frankie Lozada, Stephen P.  Lyons, Raymond Michael Moroz, Derek Nadeau, Jason Michael Palmer, Donald Picard, Paperboy Love Prince, John Rist, Vermin Supreme and John Vail

Republicans: Scott Alan Ayers, Peter Jedick, Glenn J. McPeters, Scott Peterson Merrell and Darius L. Mitchell

Never heard of them? That’s the point of the forum! Check it out here.

A group of 13 Senate Democrats are sponsoring an amendment to President Biden‘s national security supplemental request directing the president to report to Congress on whether countries receiving military aid are “fully cooperating with U.S. efforts and U.S.-supported international efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to civilians,” among other things.

From The Hill’s Laura Kelly: “The language of the amendment does not single out Israel, but lawmakers were blunt in statements that they are focused on Israel’s conduct of its war against Hamas and security operations in the West Bank, where Israel is in conflict with Palestinian armed groups, but civilians have been caught up in retribution violence by extremist Israeli settlers.” Read more here.

Momentum is building for public and private insurance to cover over-the-counter contraception. Check out the roadmap to affordable contraception at: thepillotc.org/affordability

©  Greg Nash/The Hill

Retiring Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) and his signature bow-tie made The New York Times Style section’s “Most Stylish” list of 2023. More here.

The House voted mostly along party lines to censure Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) for pulling a fire alarm during the government funding bill saga in September, which he maintains was an accident.

“Congress should invest in AmeriCorps’ impact and promise”

“The scientific rationale for the holiday season”

7 days until the House breaks for the holidays.

8 days until the Senate’s recess begins.

© iStock

According to a recent Monmouth University poll, frosted sugar cookies are the favorite Christmas cookie of a plurality of Americans, coming in at 32 percent.

Public opinion is fractured across the many other options (more molasses cookies for me!).

There a story you think should be getting more attention? Something people should be talking about? Drop me a line: ALaTour@thehill.com

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