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The National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed by 375-34, sending it to
the U.S. Senate, which is expected to vote next week on the
$618.7 billion measure setting policy for the Pentagon.
After months of negotiation, the House and Senate Armed Services
committees unveiled a compromise version of the NDAA this week
that did not include provisions such as the Russell Amendment, a
"religious freedom" measure that Democrats said would have let
federal contractors discriminate against workers on the basis of
gender or sexual orientation, overturning an executive order by
Democratic President Barack Obama.
During debate before Friday's vote, some Republicans said they
wanted to revisit the issue. Republicans will control both
houses of Congress and the White House after Trump is sworn in
on Jan. 20.
"We look forward to working directly with the incoming
administration to address the concerns, not just for the DoD.
(Department of Defense), but for the government nationwide,"
said Republican Representative Mac Thornberry, the House Armed
Services Committee chairman.
The NDAA also includes $3.2 billion more for the Pentagon than
Obama requested in his budget bill. Some Democrats objected to
the increase, part of a continuing debate between the two
parties over whether defense spending should be matched by
non-defense spending.
Thornberry also said he hoped the Trump administration would
send Congress a supplemental budget request to provide even more
money for the Pentagon.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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