[1/2] Clouds over the U.S. The Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 22, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo
WASHINGTON, Dec 15 (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate passed legislation on Thursday authorizing a record $858 billion in annual defense spending, $45 billion more than proposed by President Joe Biden, and repealing military command of COVID.
Senators supported the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, an annual must-pass bill for the Pentagon, by a majority of 83-11.
The no vote comes from a mix of liberals who oppose the rising military budget and conservatives who want tighter spending controls.
With the House of Representatives passing the measure last week, the NDAA next heads to the White House, where Biden is expected to quickly sign it into law.
The fiscal 2023 NDAA authorizes $858 billion in military spending and includes a 4.6% pay increase for the military, funds to purchase weapons, ships and aircraft, and support for Taiwan while facing aggression from China and Ukraine while fighting the invasion of. Russia.
The vote meant that Congress has passed the NDAA every year since 1961.
“This is the most important bill we do every year,” said Senator James Inhofe, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, in a statement. This year’s NDAA is named for Inhofe, who is retiring from the Senate.
AID FOR TAIWAN, UKRAINE AND JUDGES
Because it is one of the few major bills that consistently passes, lawmakers are using the NDAA as a vehicle for many initiatives. On the same subject : A busy weekend of travel is expected | News, sports, business.
This year’s measures, which came after months of negotiations between Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate, include State Department approval and legislation that would allow U.S. Supreme Court justices
The 2023 budget NDAA includes a provision sought by many Republicans — and opposed by many Democrats — that would require the defense secretary to rescind an order requiring members of the military to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Efforts to amend the bill to restore pay and reinstate soldiers who refused vaccination failed.
The bill gives Ukraine at least $800 million in additional security aid next year and includes a range of provisions to bolster Taiwan amid tensions with China, including billions of dollars in security aid and rapid arms procurement for Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense expressed its gratitude for the support, saying the planned measures will help prepare the island’s military and “ensure freedom, independence, peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”
The bill also authorizes more money to develop hypersonic weapons, close the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility in Hawaii and buy weapons equipment including Lockheed Martin Corp’s ( LMT.N ) F- 35 warplanes and ships manufactured by General Dynamics (GD.N) .
The NDAA is not the final word on spending. Authorization bills create programs, but Congress must pass appropriations bills to give the government the legal authority to spend federal money.
The money to pay the government through Sept. 30, 2023, — the end of the fiscal year — is expected to pass Congress next week.
Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Additional reporting by Richard Cowan, and Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Edited by Sandra Maler, Leslie Adler and Edwina Gibbs
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