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The Senate cleared a key procedural hurdle to passing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Monday, with a final vote in the coming days before Congress wraps up its work for the year.
Senators voted 83-12 to advance the annual $895 billion defense policy package, setting a vote on final approval for Wednesday, absent a timing deal that would speed the package’s arrival in the goal
“I hope we can find a way to pass an NDAA as soon as tomorrow,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DNY) said in a speech before Monday’s vote, arguing that the proposal is not “a blueprint of perfect law”. but it has some “really good stuff” that the Democrats pushed.
The bill, which sets Pentagon policy for the year, it passed the House 281 to 140 last week
The annual bill usually passes with widespread bipartisan support, but that took a hit this year after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) pushed through a provision in the bill that would restrict the use of funds from TRICARE, the active-duty health care program. -The members of the service, for the care of gender to the children of 18 years or less of the members of the service. This led many Democrats to vote against it.
Even some Republicans indicated they were not satisfied with the legislative changewhich they say could have been done unilaterally by President-elect Trump after the inauguration, saving the legislative fight. Some lawmakers believe Johnson pushed the change to shore up his right wing ahead of next month’s presidential election.
The Senate is the NDAA is expected to pass easily too, but some Democrats might be against it because of the Johnson-led effort.
“To be sure, the NDAA has some bad provisions that Democrats would not have included,” Schumer said. “And there are other provisions that were left out of the NDAA that we still hope can be made elsewhere.”
Among the items included in the bill are a 14.5 percent pay increase for junior enlisted troops and a 4.5 percent pay increase for the rest of the military.
It also includes language barring the Defense Department from supporting critical race theory at academic institutions or military training exercises conducted by the Pentagon, and another year-long hiring freeze in diversity-related positions , equity and inclusion programs.
The overall price was lower than some top Republicans had hoped it would be. Sen. Roger Wicker (Miss.), the top GOP member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) pushed for an additional $25 billion, but be empty in this regard.
However, appropriators could still try to increase that number through a full-year defense spending bill in the coming months. McConnell, who will step down from his perch as Republican leader at the end of the year, will take over the Senate Appropriations panel’s Defense subcommittee next year.
The Kentucky Republican lamented that omission Monday, calling it “a tremendous missed opportunity.”
“Artificial budget constraints mean that major billing provisions, like a pay raise for enlisted service members, will come at the expense of investments in critical weapons and munitions systems that deter conflict and keep them safe,” he said. McConnell said Monday. “For all the talk about the growing threats to America’s national security, the time has come for an honest conversation about the military requirements to meet those needs.”
“If this NDAA offers any valuable lesson, it’s that we have a lot of work to do,” he added.
