The U.S. House of Representatives recently voted with a significant majority in favor of a defense policy bill, which sets a record high of $886 billion for annual military spending. This legislation encompasses various policies, including aid for Ukraine and strategic measures against China in the Indo-Pacific region.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) garnered bipartisan support, passing with a 310 to 118 vote, exceeding the two-thirds majority needed. This approval sends the bill to the White House for President Joe Biden’s signature.
Distinct from appropriations bills that determine government spending, the NDAA covers a wide range of military aspects, from troop pay raises – set at 5.2% this year – to procurement of ships, ammunition, and aircraft.
As one of the key annual legislative pieces, the NDAA often includes a variety of initiatives. It’s a critical bill for defense companies like Lockheed Martin and RTX Corp, which rely on Department of Defense contracts.
This year’s NDAA, spanning nearly 3,100 pages and authorizing a record $886 billion – a 3% increase from the previous year – marks the 63rd consecutive year Congress has passed such a bill.
The finalized NDAA omitted controversial social issues, such as abortion access and transgender service member rights, which were present in the earlier House version but threatened to stall the bill’s progress.
The Senate, controlled by Democrats, also supported the NDAA with a strong bipartisan vote of 87 to 13.
The 2024 fiscal year NDAA includes a four-month extension of a contentious domestic surveillance authority under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), allowing more time for potential reform or continuation of the program.
Despite objections in both the Senate and House, these concerns weren’t sufficient to halt the bill. The Senate rejected an amendment to remove the FISA extension before approving the defense measure.
Both the House and Senate had previously passed their versions of the NDAA, with the final bill representing a compromise between the two chambers and parties.
The legislation extends the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative until the end of 2026, allocating $300 million for the program in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and the following year.
However, this amount is relatively small compared to President Biden’s request for $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, aimed at supporting Kyiv against Russia’s invasion that started in February 2022.
This larger emergency funding request faces delays in Congress due to Republican demands for stricter immigration laws in exchange for approving Ukraine aid.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Capitol on Tuesday to advocate for Biden’s requested funding but left without any firm commitments from Republican lawmakers.
