US Senate passes $768 billion defense spending bill
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The US Senate approved a bill that would increase the defense budget by more than what Biden has requested.
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89% of senators approved the draft budget.
The US Senate passed the final version of the $768 billion defense spending bill for 2022 on Wednesday, sending it to President Joe Biden's desk for signature.
The Senate approved the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by a vote of 89-10.
Despite attempts by lawmakers to include sanctions against Russian sovereign debt or the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, the NDAA did not include them.
The budget includes $7.1 billion for operations in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as initiatives to address Chinese challenges such as threats to supply chains for critical defense systems.
The defense spending bill also comprises $4 billion for the European Deterrence Initiative and $300 million for Ukraine's security assistance.
The bill would also require biannual reporting on alleged Russian influence operations and campaigns aimed at US military alliances.
The bill
The legislation was sent to the Senate, passing it with a bipartisan vote. It will ultimately also authorize a 2.7% pay increase for the US military.
In order to pass it, lawmakers had to discard a measure requiring women to sign a draft, a bill to repeal the 2002 law authorizing the invasion of Iraq, and a bill to impose sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
