Congress Moves Forward With Defense Policy Bill

Facing an ongoing war in Ukraine and increasingly aggressive behavior by China, members of Congress are substantially boosting funding for the military. The annual defense authorization package the House passed this week exceeds the Biden administration’s budget request by $45 billion.
The $858 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is an 8 percent boost in funding levels over fiscal year 2022. While the bill authorizes the money and how to spend it, lawmakers have to follow it up with separate spending legislation.
The House approved a compromise version with an overwhelming vote of 350-80, teeing it up for Senate consideration.
Below are a few highlights of the legislation. (If you want some light weekend reading, the 4,400-page bill text is available here.)