House passes major defense spending bill
Mike Brest
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The House of Representatives passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act, which funds the Department of Defense, on Wednesday, a day after congressional leaders announced they had reached an agreement.
The House voted 350 to 80 in favor of the legislation that has passed every year since 1962 and includes a $45 billion bonus on top of the $813 billion request by the Biden administration, with that extra funding increasing the allotment provided for procurement; research, development, test and evaluation; operation and maintenance; military construction; and defense-related nuclear programs.
The Congressional Black Caucus had delayed the legislation seeking the addition of a voting rights provision. This prompted the House to pass it with a two-thirds majority using a process known as suspension of the rules.
The NDAA breaks down into $279 billion for military personnel, $210 billion on military personnel and health, $163 billion for procurement, $139 billion for research, development, test, and evaluation, $30 billion for defense-related nuclear programs, and $19 billion for military construction.
CONGRESSIONAL ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEES RELEASE TEXT OF DEFENSE FUNDING BILL
“We are pleased to announce we’ve come to a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on this year’s National Defense Authorization Act. This year’s agreement continues the Armed Services Committee’s 62-year tradition of working together to support our troops and strengthen America’s national security. We urge Congress to pass the NDAA quickly and the President to sign it when it reaches his desk,” House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA), House Armed Services Committee ranking member Mike Rogers (R-AL), Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Jack Reed (D-RI), and Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jim Inhofe (R-OK) said in a statement.
In a divided Congress, Republicans were able to squeeze concessions from the Democrats and President Joe Biden’s administration. The negotiators agreed to end the military’s coronavirus vaccine mandate, despite President Joe Biden and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s continued support. The mandate has already resulted in the separation of thousands of service members.
“We continue to believe that repealing the vaccine mandate is a mistake. Making sure our troops are ready to defend this country and prepared to do so — that remains the president’s priority, and the vaccine requirement for COVID does just that,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday.
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He declined to say whether Biden would sign the NDAA if the mandate repeal stayed in the final legislation.