House lawmakers passed their version of the National Defense Authorization Act in a 363-70 vote on Dec. 7, axing provisions that would have expanded the draft to women and ended U. S. military support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen.
The $768 billion military budgeting bill sent to the Senate is above and beyond the $733 billion spent this year and the $753 billion sought by the Biden administration. Many national security officials are advocating for an indefinite 5-percent increase in military spending to both maintain the global war on terror and confront China and Russia.
To those ends, the House NDAA provides $7.1 billion for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI), devoting more resources to building up forces in the Indo-Pacific region—in keeping with Pentagon plans to upgrade bases in Australia and throughout the Pacific as part of its strategy to confront China’s growing influence in the region.
The House NDAA also includes $300 million in military to Ukraine as tensions mount along the Russian border.
Following the vote, the House Armed Services Committee touted the bill’s “historic investments in our diverse fighting force, innovation, and emerging technologies.”
Of the opponents of the legislation, 51 are Democrats and 19 are Republicans.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who didn’t vote, stated her reasons on Twitter for not supporting the legislation: “With no accountability of the military leaders who armed the Taliban Islamic terrorist nation of Afghanistan, abandoned Americans, and killed 13 soldiers needlessly, funding the NDAA would be providing money to leaders who failed and left our military demoralized.”
Along with the spending boost, lawmakers removed provisions from the NDAA that would have made major changes to U. S. national security policy: one that would have expanded draft registration to women, and another that would have ended... (Read more)
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