2023-12-15 07:19:00
The US House of Representatives has approved the US defense policy bill, with two-thirds of the members voting in favor of the bill. The bill, passed on December 7, includes $886 million in annual defense spending, funding for Ukraine, and measures to curb Chinese hegemony in the Indo-Pacific region.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was supported by both Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives, and now awaits President Joe Biden’s signature. Unlike the Appropriation Bill, the NDAA gives the US government the power to spend on defense without limits.
The bill reflects an increase of three percent in defense expenditure compared to the previous year, with provisions for salary increases for soldiers and the purchase of weapons, warships, and aircraft.
The support of the Democrat-controlled Senate was crucial to the passage of the NDAA, which is one of the few important pieces of legislation that becomes law every year.
Major arms makers Lockheed Martin and RTX Corp are anticipated to benefit from the defense bill, as it is expected to greenlight multi-million dollar arms trade. However, provisions addressing social issues such as access to abortion and the treatment of transgender service members were omitted from the final version of the NDAA.
The final version of the defense bill was based on a compromise between the Democrat and Republican factions of both houses, after the House and Senate passed different versions earlier in the year.
The defense policy bill also allows for an extension of internal surveillance authority, giving lawmakers more time to reform the Section 702 program of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Additionally, the bill expanded financial assistance to Ukraine, providing $300 million in funding through September 30, 2024.
President Biden had pushed for $61 billion in financial assistance to Ukraine, making the $300 million funding sanctioned under the bill appear comparatively modest. Nevertheless, the passage of the defense policy bill marks a significant step forward in US defense policy and international relations.
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