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Senate Passes $886 Billion Defense Bill, Drops Hard-Right Provisions

The legislation provides a 5.2% pay raise for military personnel, expands military partnerships, and extends a controversial surveillance program.

  • The Senate passed the $886 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by a vote of 87-13, which sets Pentagon policy and provides a 5.2% pay raise for military personnel.
  • The bill authorizes expanded military partnerships in the Indo-Pacific and in Europe, aimed at countering China and Russia, and structural updates at bases and barracks.
  • The legislation extends the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through fiscal 2027, but future Ukraine aid remains mired in partisan battles.
  • Hard-right provisions aimed at undoing Pentagon policies on abortion access, LGBTQ+ rights, and diversity initiatives were dropped from the final bill.
  • The bill also extends a program that allows the intelligence community to conduct warrantless surveillance of foreign individuals located outside the United States until 2025.
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