House Approves Defense Policy, Rebuking GOP’s Far-Right Fringe
TL/DR –
The annual defense authorization bill passed the House by a vote of 310-118, despite opposition from conservatives who sought to embed the legislation with provisions targeting Pentagon policies on abortion, diversity, and LGBTQ+ rights. The $886 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) allows for expanded military partnerships in the Indo-Pacific and Europe, structural improvements at Defense Department facilities, and a 5.2 percent pay raise for military personnel. The NDAA, now headed to the White House for President Biden’s signature, also extends the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through 2027, but additional aid for Ukraine remains uncertain amid partisan disputes.
Decisive House Vote Passes Annual Defense Authorization Bill
The House decisively passed the annual defense authorization bill on Thursday, with a bipartisan rebuke towards conservative members who aimed to influence the legislation with provisions addressing Pentagon policies on abortion, diversity, and LGBTQ+ rights.
The $886 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed with a vote of 310-118, following a successful Senate vote. It is now pending President Biden’s approval for becoming a law.
This comprehensive bill, spanning over 3,000 pages, is the result of extensive negotiations between political party leaders. It authorizes extended military partnerships in the Indo-Pacific and Europe to counter threats from China and Russia. It includes a 5.2% pay raise for military personnel and outlines several other national security imperatives.
Additionally, the NDAA extends the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative until fiscal 2027. It supports Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia. However, future Ukraine aid proposed in an emergency security funding request from the White House remains stalled in partisan battles.
The NDAA, a traditionally bipartisan bill, became a battlefield for polarized culture wars during the summer. Hard-right Republicans attached provisions targeting the military’s policies on abortion, race, and gender-affirming healthcare.
The compromise bill approved on Thursday removed most of the hard right’s culture-war provisions. It has drawn criticism from members of the House Freedom Caucus, who view it as a betrayal of conservative values.
Despite objections, Republican and Democratic leaders of the House Armed Services Committee urged the endorsement of the bill’s measures to protect national security.
The compromise bill also includes a provision to temporarily reauthorize a controversial, warrantless surveillance program, known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. This drew last-minute opposition from conservatives and liberal privacy advocates.
While critics have expressed concerns about privacy invasion, supporters argue that the program is crucial for national security. The provision in the NDAA would reauthorize Section 702 for four months, allowing Congress time to reform the law.
Despite a last-minute effort to adjourn the House before the defense bill’s approval, the effort failed overwhelmingly.
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