WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration said on Tuesday it strongly supports swift passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, an annual bill setting policy for the Pentagon that this year covers a record $886 billion in spending.
“The NDAA provides the critical authorities we need to build the military required to deter future conflicts while supporting the service members and their spouses and families who carry out that mission every day,” the administration said in a statement.
The National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, is one of the few major pieces of legislation Congress passes every year.
Separate from the appropriations bills setting government spending levels, the NDAA governs everything from pay raises for the troops – this year’s will be 5.2% – to purchases of ships and aircraft to policies such as support for Ukraine.
The Republican-majority House passed its version of the bill earlier this year, followed by the Senate, which is controlled by Biden’s fellow Democrats. Negotiators from both parties and both chambers unveiled their compromise version of the bill last week.
It is expected to by passed by both the House and Senate as soon as later this week.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
