House, Senate pass sweeping $886B defense policy bill

Dec. 14 (UPI) -- The House on Thursday passed the sweeping annual Defense Authorization bill, totaling nearly $900 billion, sending it to President Joe Biden's desk, but now without some contentious elements.

The bill passed with a bipartisan 310-118, where the House used a suspension of the rules, needing a two-thirds vote.

The Senate passed the bill 87-13, on Wednesday, after the two bodies hammered out a compromised bill. Now it goes to President Joe Biden for his signature.

One point of contention was the reauthorization of the controversial surveillance program. It was tabled for four months.

Conservatives howled that some of their pet amendments, including one on abortion rights and another targeting the LBGTQ community, did not stay in the final version.

"This bill is a compromise, but it's a good compromise," Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said about the legislation. "It puts the need of our service members and our national security before all else."

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said the bill did little to challenge what he called the military's "leftist" proposals, making the bill "insufficient."

The bill did keep some amendments that were on conservative's wish list, such as restricting the teaching of critical race theory, prohibiting certain flags -- including the LGBTQ flag -- from being flown, and the reinstatement of troops discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine.

"I am pleased that the Senate has come together to once again pass a strong, bipartisan defense bill," Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., said in a statement.

"This is a dangerous moment in the world, and the NDAA makes critical progress toward meeting the threats we face."

The $886.3 defense bill included a 5.2% pay raise for military service members, the largest increase in more than two decades, and increased military investments in the Indo-Pacific as a deterrence to China and in Europe to confront Russia and support Ukraine.

It also includes more funding for recruitment and advertising, military construction, modernization of military technology and capabilities, and maintenance and modernization of the Untied States' nuclear deterrent.

"Our bill should signal to China, Russia and others that we will not accept a world where America does not have the best fighting force," Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement.

"While I would have preferred to send the president a substantially larger proposed investment in our industrial base, he now should approve the monumental investments Congress intends to make in our service members, warships, submarines, aircraft and technology."