© Reuters. Members of the military salute during the 19th annual September 11 observance ceremony at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., September 11, 2020. REUTERS/Erin Scott/ File Photo
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By Kanishka Singh
Wow! President Joe Biden made a historic move on Friday by signing into law the U.S. defense policy bill. This bill authorizes a record-breaking $886 billion in annual military spending and lays out crucial policies such as aid for Ukraine and a strategy to counter China in the Indo-Pacific.
The National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, which passed Congress last week, signifies a strong and bipartisan effort. The Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate approved the legislation with a powerful majority of 87 to 13, while the House of Representatives voted in favor with a 310 to 118 majority.
This bill, which is one of the few major pieces of legislation Congress passes every year, covers everything from pay raises for service members to important decisions on the procurement of ships and aircraft, as well as policies regarding support for foreign partners like Taiwan.
The act, nearly 3,100 pages long, called for a significant 5.2% pay raise for service members and increased the nation’s total national security budget by about 3% to $886 billion. It also identified specific Chinese battery companies that are ineligible for Defense Department procurement.
The bill also includes a four-month extension of a disputed domestic surveillance authority, known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, giving lawmakers more time to review or maintain the program.
The bill extends the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through the end of 2026, authorizing $300 million for the program in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2024, and the following year. However, the figure is small compared to the $61 billion that Biden had requested for Ukraine. This request faced resistance from Republicans who sought significant changes to immigration law.
