U.S. Representatives approved a record $886-B defense bill during a voting session in Washington, and now the proposal will be forwarded to the country’s President Joe Biden.
The U.S. Congress voted to approve the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act or N.D.A.A,
“The yays are 310, the nays are 118, two-thirds are in the affirmative the rules are suspended. The conference report is agreed to and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table,” according to Jake LaTurner, U.S. Speaker Pro Tempore.
It was also passed through the Senate in an 87-13 vote.
The bill included a pay raise for the US troops, and the possibility of the purchase of weaponry, including ammunition, aircraft, and ships.
It also includes $300-M in additional aid for Ukraine, which is a tiny percentage of what was originally sought for the country by the White House.
It is also reported that the bill includes a short-term extension of a surveillance program that aims to prevent terrorism and identify potential spies.
The measure reportedly establishes a new training program with Taiwan, consolidates a plan to accelerate deliveries of Harpoon anti-ship missiles to the country, and approves an agreement that allows Australia to access nuclear-powered submarines.
Meanwhile, although the new NDAA bill already includes $300-M for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through the year 2026.
American Legislators are still working out a separate $105-B bill that would provide more military aid to Ukraine and Israel.
The $886-B defense bill is so far the largest military spending authorization in US history.
The bill was passed separately in the House and the Senate earlier in 2023, however, it faced long negotiations with lawmakers struggling to create a final version to send to Biden’s desk.
The bill’s approval comes two days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskky visited Biden and the US Congress.
Last week, the Senate blocked the Biden administration’s bid for $110bn in funding for Ukraine, Israel, and other projects.
Republicans and US analysts have also expressed concerns about the scale of the total funding for Kyiv and the lack of a breakthrough in the latest counteroffensive.
Following the latest budget setback, Biden claimed that Republicans were ‘willing to literally kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield and damage our national security in the process’.
The US has provided $111-B in total to Ukraine during the conflict with Russia.
But Moscow has repeatedly accused Washington and its allies of interfering and escalating the conflict and said that deliveries of weaponry will only prolong the fighting and won’t change the outcome.
