What does the $886 billion defense bill in the NDAA entail?
TL/DR –
The Senate and House Armed Services committees have unveiled an $886.3 billion defense bill that provides the largest raise for service members in over 20 years, extends a surveillance program, and strengthens the US presence in the Indo-Pacific region against China. The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2024, a nearly 3,100-page document, was authorized by the Senate and is hoped to pass the House by the end of the week. The bill includes measures to improve service members’ wages and benefits, provides funding for housing and childcare, boosts defense against Chinese aggression in the Pacific region, controls the teaching and training of critical race theory in the military, and reinstates service members discharged for not receiving the Covid-19 vaccine.
CNN
The Senate and House Armed Services committees revealed a $886.3 billion defense bill, provisioned to give the biggest pay raise for service members in two decades, extend a surveillance program temporarily, and bolster US stance in the Indo-Pacific to counter Chinese actions.
The Senate approved the near 3,100-page National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2024, with hopes it will pass the House by week’s end. The package sanctions $28 billion, or around 3%, more than the last fiscal year.
The legislation details the policy agenda for the Department of Defense and the US military and sanctions spending according to the Pentagon’s preferences. It does not appropriate the funding.
The joint package omits two disputable provisions regarding abortion and transgender health care access, which were in the House defense policy bill that passed this summer.
The final bill version, however, incorporates measures directed at “ending wokeness in the military,” as per a summary provided by the Republican-led House Armed Services Committee.
Still contentious in Congress is funding for a separate $105 billion national security package that would deliver more assistance to Israel and Ukraine. Senate Republicans insist that more foreign aid must come with significant border security policy changes.
Key provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act
The package includes several measures to enhance service members’ wages and benefits for recruitment and retention. It authorizes a 5.2% increase in service member basic pay and a monthly bonus for junior enlisted members. Furthermore, it adjusts the Basic Allowance for Housing calculation to increase reimbursement for junior enlisted service members to better accommodate rising rents. It also expands the Basic Needs Allowance to support low-income service members with families.
To assist military spouses, it expands their reimbursements for relicensing or business costs and enables those working for the federal government to telework when service members transfer locations. Additionally, the legislation would minimize child care expenses for military families and sanction $153 million over the budget request for constructing new child care centers.
Lastly, it would require the defense secretary to inform the 8,000 service members who were discharged for not receiving the Covid-19 vaccine of the process to be reinstated. Moreover, it would classify the lapse in service as a “career intermission” to prevent future promotions from being affected.
This story has updates with additional developments.
Contribution by CNN’s Clare Foran.
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