The annual defense authorization bill has been passed by the House in a decisive vote, delivering a bipartisan rebuke to its most conservative members. The $886 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was approved by a vote of 310-118. It follows the overwhelming margin of Senate approval the night before and is expected to be signed into law by President Biden.
The bill outlines a wide range of national security measures, including authorizing expanded military partnerships in the Indo-Pacific and Europe, military personnel pay raises, and procurement of new weapons and missile-defense systems. Notably, the NDAA also extends the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through fiscal 2027, offering support to Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia.
Over the summer, the NDAA became ground zero in the nation’s polarized culture wars, as hard-right Republicans aimed to attach various provisions targeting Pentagon policies on abortion, diversity, and LGBTQ+ rights. The stark differences between the two chambers led to concerns about the bill’s passage, but the compromise bill approved on Thursday has stripped away nearly all of the hard right’s culture-war provisions.
Critics of the bill highlight the inclusion of a provision to temporarily reauthorize the controversial, warrantless surveillance program known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which drew a number of last-minute attempts by conservatives and liberal privacy advocates to rally opposition to the NDAA.
Overall, the NDAA represents a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to address national security imperatives, and the passage of the bill underscores the cooperative efforts of both parties in delivering essential legislation.