Five House Democrats broke with their party to join Republicans in passing an amendment restricting transgender participation in school sports, exposing cracks in Democratic unity on the issue. The vote came during the House's consideration of amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual bill that sets military and national security policy, on Tuesday night.

The successful amendment was led by Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and its passage relied on defections from within Democratic ranks rather than a united Republican bloc alone. The episode highlights ongoing internal Democratic divisions over transgender policy issues, an area where the party has faced political pressure in recent debates and elections.