The Senate on Wednesday passed a defense policy bill that would give soldiers the largest pay hike in more than 20 years, but also left behind many of the policy priorities sought by social conservatives and made unusual changes to traditionally strong policies. It became a divisive debate. A bipartisan effort.
Lawmakers have been negotiating the final bill for months after each chamber opened. Significantly different versions were passed In July. Some of the priorities championed by social conservatives were impossible for Democrats, so negotiators removed them from the final product to get it over the finish line.
The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 87-13. Now it will go to the House of Commons, where opponents are voicing their concerns even more loudly.
Most notably, the bill does not include language blocking. Department of Defense Abortion Travel Policy or restricting gender-affirming medical care for transgender service members and their dependents. But Republicans won certain concessions on diversity and inclusion training in the military. For example, the bill would freeze hiring for such training until a full accounting of the program and costs is completed and reported to Congress.
The bill establishes key policies for the Department of Defense that lawmakers will seek to fund through subsequent spending bills. Lawmakers were keen to emphasize that the bill calls for a 5.2% increase in military pay, the largest increase in more than 20 years. The bill authorizes $886 billion for national defense programs for the current fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, an increase of about 3% from the previous year.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said the bill would ensure that “America's military remains state-of-the-art around the world.”
The bill also includes a short-term extension of the deadline. monitoring program The purpose is to prevent terrorism and arrest spies. But the program has detractors on both sides of the political spectrum who see it as a threat to the privacy of ordinary Americans. Some House Republicans were furious at the extension, which was intended to buy time to reach a compromise.
This expansion, known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, U.S. Government Permitted Programs Harvesting communications of non-Americans abroad without a warrant to collect foreign intelligence.
U.S. officials say the tool, first authorized in 2008 and updated several times since then, is critical to thwarting terrorist attacks, cyber intrusions and other national security threats. ing. It has produced critical intelligence that the United States relies on for certain operations, such as last year's killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri.
But the administration's efforts to secure reauthorization of the program have faced strong bipartisan opposition. Democratic senators like Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, a longtime defender of civil liberties, have joined with former President Donald Trump's Republican supporters to demand stronger privacy protections for Americans, and many is proposing competing legislation.
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky unsuccessfully tried to remove the extension from the defense bill. He argued that the extension likely would not mean any reforms to the surveillance program next year.
“It means that intelligence agencies that ignore the constraints of their powers will once again go unaddressed and unpunished, and that warrantless surveillance of American citizens that violates the Bill of Rights will continue.”
There was enough opposition within the Republican Party to force House Speaker Mike Johnson to force a vote on the defense policy bill through the process typically reserved for non-controversial legislation. Under this process, at least two-thirds of the House would have to vote yes for the bill to pass, but taking that route could leave a small number of Republicans blocking the bill with a procedural vote. can be avoided.
Such a process could make it easier to pass the bill, but it could hurt Mr. Johnson's standing with some of the most conservative members of the House of Commons. As former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy learned when eight Republicans joined with Democrats to help oust him, a small number of Republicans alone can essentially bring the House to a standstill, and the Speaker They can even terminate their terms.
The White House called for swift passage of the national defense bill, calling for “the critical needs needed to build the military needed to deter future conflicts while supporting our service members, their spouses, and families as they carry out their missions every day.” It provides significant authority.”
Consideration of the bill comes at a particularly dangerous time for the world, with wars brewing in Ukraine and the Middle East and China increasingly using military force in the South China Sea.
Regarding Ukraine, the bill includes the establishment of a Special Inspector General for Ukraine to address concerns about whether taxpayer dollars are being spent in Ukraine as intended. This is in addition to oversight work already being conducted by other government watchdogs.
“While we continue to stay on top of this issue, I want to assure my colleagues that there is no evidence of diversion of weapons provided to support Ukraine or elsewhere,” said Rep. Mike, the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. Told. Mr. Rogers of Alabama told lawmakers this week in support of the bill.
Regarding China, the bill establishes a new training program with Taiwan, mandates plans to accelerate the delivery of Harpoon anti-ship missiles to Taiwan, and gives Australia access to stealthier and more capable nuclear-powered submarines. The agreement has been approved. powered ship.
Dozens of House Republicans balked at the bill because it would preserve a Pentagon rule that allows military members to be reimbursed for travel expenses if they must travel out of state to receive an abortion or other reproductive health care. are doing. The Biden administration enacted the new rules after the Supreme Court overturned abortion rights nationwide and some states restricted or banned abortion procedures.
Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama had been blocking the promotions of more than 400 military leaders for months, citing opposition to the policy.he Recently dropped most of his holds Many House Republicans supported his efforts, with the exception of four-star generals and admirals. included abolition Reimbursement policy content in the House version of the defense bill.
