Defense Bill Passed by Senate, Controversial Elements Excluded

Senate Passes Crucial National Defense Policy Bill, Setting Up Showdown with House

The Senate has successfully passed a critically important national defense policy bill, paving the way for a clash with the Republican-controlled House. This comes after the House recently passed its own version of the bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), courtesy of a series of contentious amendments proposed by staunch conservatives. The next step requires lawmakers to reconcile the Senate and House versions through negotiation and create a compromise that satisfies both chambers.

The NDAA is instrumental in defining policy priorities and allocating funds for the Department of Defense on a yearly basis.

Controversially, the House bill included amendments that restrict abortion and transgender healthcare access, as well as eliminate diversity and inclusion programs. These additions drew strong disapproval from Democrats and led to a significant loss of support for the House bill across party lines.

Responding to the challenge of reconciling the two bills, Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, remarked, “It will require effort, but we must focus on actual issues related to national defense rather than dealing with extraneous matters.”

Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, another member of the committee, added, “There may be disagreements, but it is crucial that we get it done. Regardless of the difficulty, it is an imperative task. No one wants the United States of America to be without a military.”

The Senate passed its iteration of the bill with a bipartisan vote of 86 to 11.

While the national defense bill typically garners wide-ranging bipartisan support, the House bill was narrowly passed with a vote of 219 to 210, mostly along party lines. Four Democrats joined Republicans, while four GOP members opposed the bill.

The Senate bill establishes a topline funding level of $886 billion for national defense and includes a 5.2% pay raise for service members, according to a summary from the Senate Armed Services Committee. Additionally, it provides support for Ukraine by extending the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative until fiscal year 2027 and authorizes increased funding for countering threats, including research on foreign influence operations.