With strong bipartisan support, the U.S. Senate approved a record $858 billion defence budget on Thursday, authorising $45 billion more than President Joe Biden had suggested.
In a resounding 83-11 vote, senators passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a yearly requirement determining policy for the Pentagon.
The NDAA, which was approved by the House of Representatives last week, is now headed to the White House, where Biden is anticipated to sign it into law as soon as possible.
The fiscal 2023 NDAA authorises $858 billion in military spending, a 4.6% pay raise for the military, financing for the acquisition of weapons, ships, and planes, help for Taiwan in the face of Chinese aggression, and support for Ukraine in the event of a Russian invasion.
‘Defense needs to come first. That’s all there is to it,’ Senator Jim Inhofe, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the senior Republican, urged support for the measure. Inhofe’s NDAA for this year bears his name as he leaves Congress.
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