Senate passes bipartisan defense spending bill, setting up looming clash with House GOP

WASHINGTON (OSV News) — The U.S. Senate passed a national defense spending bill for fiscal year 2024 shortly before their August recess without language in the Republican-led House’s version of the bill barring abortion or coverage for gender transitions. Lawmakers will have to reconcile the two measures in the coming weeks after they return from August recess.

The Senate July 27 voted 86-11 on its version of the National Defense Authorization Act in stark contrast to the House’s approval of its bill earlier in July, which was largely along party lines.

The Senate’s $886 billion bill provides for a 5.2 percent pay raise for both military service members and the Department of Defense civilian workforce, extends the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through fiscal year 2027 and includes funding for other security measures both domestic and around the globe.

In a statement, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I., said the “forward-looking defense bill will go a long way toward keeping the American people safe, deterring conflict, and confronting the national security threats we face.”

“This bipartisan NDAA provides a historic level of support for our troops and their families, including the largest military pay raise in decades,” Reed said. “It authorizes record-level investments in the people, platforms, and programs that our forces need to safeguard the nation and advance U.S. interests worldwide. The bill also accelerates the development of cutting-edge technologies like hypersonics and artificial intelligence to provide our forces with key advantages on the battlefield.”

Reed argued the Senate’s “bipartisan approach netted a major win for America’s military men and women and their families.”

“I appreciate Majority Leader (Chuck) Schumer and Minority Leader (Mitch) McConnell for working to facilitate a thorough debate that allowed all senators to engage and contribute to this bill,” he said. “I salute (Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.) for his continued leadership and partnership. I look forward to working together in conference to produce a strong NDAA that takes on the real threats facing our military.”

In his own statement, Wicker, ranking member of the committee, said that “although I would have preferred a topline defense spending number that better reflects the most dangerous threat environment that the United States has faced since World War II, I appreciate the hard work that the Senate has put into this year’s NDAA.”

“The bill we have delivered takes care of our troops with a substantial pay raise and reforms that will improve quality of life for our servicemen and women,” Wicker said. “We are also taking pivotal steps toward the monumental investments in our naval power, munitions capacity, and defense industrial base that the moment demands. The bill also harnesses defense innovation through procurement reform and investments in high-tech research.”

Wicker said Congress “once again has an opportunity to send an unmistakable message to China and Russia that we are stalwart in our commitment to a ‘peace through strength’ agenda.”

“I am hopeful that working alongside the House, we will send a bill to the president’s desk that puts our national defense on a path toward improving our deterrent capabilities,” he added. “I am especially grateful for the partnership of Chairman Reed on my first NDAA as ranking member.”

The House’s version of the same legislation includes provisions to undo the Pentagon’s abortion travel policy, block funding for surgical or hormonal treatments for transgender troops, and scale back diversity training and programs. Those provisions are unlikely to pass the Senate, which is under Democratic control.

Pro-life groups have pushed back on the White House’s support of the Pentagon’s policy of providing paid leave and travel reimbursement for service members seeking abortions.

Jeanne Mancini, president of the national March for Life organization, told OSV News July 20 that President Joe Biden “is pushing an illegal scheme to fund travel-related expenses for our military and their family members to obtain abortions, with the administration going so far as to say the Department of Defense has a ‘foundational, sacred obligation’ to do so.”

The House and Senate must reconcile their versions of the bill in order to send a final version to Biden’s desk.

The Senate’s large majority support for its own version will likely strengthen its negotiations with the House, which has just a slim GOP majority.

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