The
Democratic-controlled Senate passed its version of the National
Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, by 86 to 11, with strong
support from both Democrats and Republicans.
The fiscal 2024 NDAA, which authorizes a record $886 billion in
spending, is one of the few major bills Congress passes every
year. It governs everything from pay raises for the troops -
this year's will be 5.2% - to purchases of ships and aircraft to
policies such as support for Ukraine.
The NDAA has passed every year since 1961, usually with strong
bipartisan support. But this year, the Republican-controlled
House passed its version of the bill by a narrow 219-210
majority, after hard-right Republicans added amendments
addressing hot-button social issues such as a repeal of a
Pentagon policy of reimbursing expenses for service members who
travel to obtain an abortion.
The Senate's Democratic majority leader, Chuck Schumer, said the
hard-right provisions in the House bill would not become law.
Democrats control only a narrow 51-49 seat majority in the
Senate, but senators from both parties have said they do not
want social issues to stand in the way of the defense bill
becoming law.
The Senate passed dozens of its own amendments, including some
addressing competition with China.
On Tuesday, the Senate voted overwhelmingly for an amendment
that would require U.S. companies to notify federal agencies of
investments in Chinese technologies such as semiconductors and
artificial intelligence and another that boosted some Chinese
purchases of U.S. farmland.
"What's happening in the Senate is a stark contrast to the
partisan race to the bottom we saw in the House, where House
Republicans are pushing partisan legislation that has zero
chance of passing," Schumer said.
This year's NDAA is several steps from becoming law.
Now that both the House and Senate bills have passed, members
will hammer out a compromise, which in turn must pass both
chambers before it can be sent to the White House for President
Joe Biden to sign or veto.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Sandra Maler and
Diane Craft)
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