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2023-12-14 Home Front: Politix

Congress passes $886 billion defense policy bill, Biden to sign into law

WASHINGTON, Dec 14 (Reuters) - More than two-thirds of the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of a defense policy bill on Thursday that includes a record $886 billion in annual military spending and authorizes policies such as aid for Ukraine and push back against China in the Indo-Pacific.
Hey Z, have I ever let you down ?
The House backed the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, by 310 to 118, with strong support from Republicans and Democrats. It was more than the two-thirds majority required to pass the measure and send it to the White House for President Joe Biden to sign into law.

Separate from the appropriations bills that set government spending levels, the NDAA authorizes everything from pay raises for troops - this year's will be 5.2% - to purchases of ships, ammunition and aircraft.

Because it is one of the few major pieces of legislation that becomes law every year, members of Congress use it as a vehicle for a wide range of initiatives. It is also closely watched by major defense companies, such as Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), RTX Corp (RTX.N) and other firms that receive Department of Defense contracts.

The vote for this year's bill, which is nearly 3,100 pages long and authorizes a record $886 billion, up 3% from last year, meant that Congress has passed an NDAA for 63 straight years.

The final version of the NDAA left out provisions addressing divisive social issues, such as access to abortion and treatment of transgender service members, that had been included in the version passed by the Republican-majority House over the objections of Democrats, threatening to derail the legislation.

Posted by Besoeker 2023-12-14 11:50|| || Front Page|| [25 views ] Top

#1 Then he'll steal what he can for 'his' special interests.

Posted by Skidmark 2023-12-14 12:17|| 2023-12-14 12:17|| Front Page Top

#2 Hey Z, have I ever let you down ?

The bill extends one measure to help Ukraine, 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 next one.

However, that figure is a tiny compared to the $61 billion in assistance for Ukraine Biden has asked Congress to approve to help Kyiv as it battles a Russian invasion that began in February 2022.

Posted by Grom the Reflective 2023-12-14 12:31|| 2023-12-14 12:31|| Front Page Top

#3 I seem to remember reading about how the US and other European nations sent lots of guns and money to Russia when another militaristic and hegemonic nation was invading them 80-some years ago.

It's difficult to say whether or not Russians might be speaking a different language now without that help.

And, there would certainly be no Israel.

Posted by Mullah Richard 2023-12-14 17:12|| 2023-12-14 17:12|| Front Page Top

11:35 Procopius2k
11:34 Airandee
11:31 Procopius2k
11:26 Grom the Reflective
11:26 Skidmark
11:24 Grom the Reflective
11:22 Skidmark
11:20 Skidmark
11:20 Grom the Reflective
11:20 Procopius2k
11:19 Skidmark
11:18 swksvolFF
11:17 Skidmark
11:17 Skidmark
11:12 swksvolFF
11:06 Skidmark
10:59 swksvolFF
10:58 Beavis
10:55 swksvolFF
10:52 NN2N1
10:42 Besoeker
10:41 M. Murcek
10:37 Lord Garth
10:33 M. Murcek