Congress passed the annual defense policy bill this week, authorizing $886 billion for a host of national security programs for the current fiscal year that began on October 1 — about 3% higher than the previous year’s levels.
The Democrat-led Senate approved the legislation, known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), in a 87-13 vote on Wednesday, and the GOP-controlled House followed suit by passing the legislation in a 310-118 vote on Thursday, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden for a signature.
The final NDAA, a compromise of the House and Senate version that came out of the conference process, sets national security policies with a heavy focus on boosting the military, improving technology development, and countering U.S. adversaries such as Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea.
“At a time of huge trouble for global security, passing the defense authorization bill is more important than ever,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). “It will ensure America can hold the line against Russia, stand firm against the Chinese Communist Party, and ensures that America’s military remains state of the art at all times, all around the world.”
Within its many provisions, the NDAA boasts a 5.2% pay raise for members of the military — the largest bump in 20 years — sections that seek to restrain facets of “woke” ideology, pared-down UFO disclosure language, a four-month extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), the authorization of $600 million to boost a Ukraine security assistance program spread across the next couple years, and much more.
The NDAA does not provide budget authority, which is given in appropriations legislation, and it is separate from the supplemental national security package being debated in Congress at the behest of Biden. Democrats are trying to pass more than $100 billion in funds for Ukraine, Israel, and more, but Republicans demand “transformative” border security reforms be included in it.
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Counted among the NDAA’s opponents were many Republicans and some Democrats. Some cited objections to the temporary extension of FISA Section 702, which has long stirred privacy concerns, and the additional funds for Ukraine. Others argued that the NDAA did not do enough to crack down on “woke” initiatives, the “radical climate agenda,” and taxpayer-funded transgender surgeries. “The NDAA is a BAD deal,” Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX) said in a post to X.