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Get ready for an exciting week in the Senate! The $886 billion annual defense bill is up for a vote, and it’s one of the last must-pass measures of the year. The compromise version of the National Defense Authorization Act is expected to pass with bipartisan support before heading to the House for a vote. Congress will need to act before their holiday recess.
The annual defense bill not only sets spending targets but also includes dozens of policy riders that can spark fierce partisan battles. One controversial issue is the House’s attempt to roll back changes in Defense Department policy accommodating service women who seek an abortion, which has been dropped from the bipartisan bill.
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, has made passing the NDAA one of the Senate’s top priorities before the end of the year.
“We must pass the annual National Defense Authorization Bill, which has been one of the most bipartisan priorities in Congress for over 60 years,” Mr. Schumer said Monday from the Senate floor. “This will be our focus on the floor this week.”
The upcoming NDAA includes a 5.2% pay raise, the biggest raise for military personnel in over two decades. This raise will begin in January and is intended to boost the Defense Department’s recruiting efforts, which have faced significant challenges. The Army ended fiscal 2023 with about 55,000 recruits — 10,000 fewer than its aim.
“At a time of huge trouble for global security, passing the defense authorization bill is more important than ever,” Mr. Schumer emphasized.
Mr. Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, are facing opposition from some GOP lawmakers, including Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, who vowed to oppose the final bill and slow down its passage after a provision compensating Americans poisoned as a result of the nation’s atomic program, including uranium mine workers and those living downwind from nuclear tests, was dropped from the final text.
Mr. Hawley said move amounted to a “grave injustice.”
“This (NDAA) turns its back on the people of the United States in defense of the lobbyists and the suits and the corporate entities who are going to get paid,” he passionately stated.
But conservatives scored a win on another front with a provision that directs the Pentagon to consider reinstating U.S. troops who were forced out of the service after they refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine during the height of the global pandemic. Another provision in the NDAA aims to scale back the Defense Department’s spending and focus on critical race theory and diversity issues, part of a campaign by congressional Republicans against what they say are “woke” policies by the Biden administration that undercut
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is a critical piece of legislation that will significantly impact U.S. military readiness and effectiveness.
Supporters of the NDAA say it will help the U.S. contend with China’s growing military strength,