The House on Thursday passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) giving the okay to next year’s $847 billion national defense budget.
The bill was passed 350-80 under a suspension of rules that would have required two-thirds’ majority approval in the House. The bill next goes to the Senate for passage.
The NDAA is regarded as annual must-pass legislation for Congress. It includes an $817 billion top line for the Defense Department and roughly $30 billion to fund nuclear activities in the Department of Energy.
It also lays out a blueprint for how the funding will be allocated to the Pentagon, including a 4.6% pay raise for both service members and the DoD’s civilian workforce, new weapons programs and equipment upgrades.
Further, the legislation is seen as a win for Republicans because it includes language that repeals a Covid-19 vaccine mandate for service members that had been in place since August 2021. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) had threatened to hold up voting on the bill if the repeal had not been added.
