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The House passed its version of the National Defense
Authorization Act, or NDAA, which sets policy for the Pentagon,
by a vote of 329-101. The Senate has yet to pass its version,
but the Senate Armed Services Committee has already backed an
even larger increase, $45 billion, over Biden's proposal.
The two chambers will decide the ultimate level when they meet
in conference at a future date. Their compromise bill would come
up for a vote in both chambers later in the year.
The NDAA, one of the only major pieces of legislation Congress
passes annually, is closely watched by a broad swath of industry
and other interests because it determines everything from
purchases of ships and aircraft to pay increases for soldiers
and how to address geopolitical threats.
For example, this year's House bill rebuked Biden's policy on
Turkey. Lawmakers approved an amendment that would restrict
Biden's ability to sell F-16 fighter jets to the NATO ally.
Lawmakers also approved provisions to repeal the 2002 Iraq War
authorization and raise the troops' pay by 4.6%. It would also
put into law Biden's executive order raising the minimum wage
for federal contractors to $15 per hour.
The bill faced opposition from lawmakers who objected to
increasing Pentagon spending.
"On the whole, the National Defense Authorization Act
exemplifies the basic fact that we spend far too much on
military-first solutions and far too little on diplomacy and on
human needs at home and around the globe," said Democratic
Representative Andy Levin, a leader of the Congressional
Progressive Caucus, who voted no.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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