The Senate’s passage of the 2025 Nationwide Protection Authorization Act strikes the invoice to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature.
The U.S. Senate handed the 2025 Nationwide Protection Authorization Act (NDAA) on Dec. 18, bringing the $895.2 billion invoice one step nearer to turning into regulation.
Together with offering the navy with its basic working price range and persevering with funding for weapons growth and procurement initiatives, this yr’s NDAA additionally consists of notable pay will increase for service members and assist for different packages to enhance their high quality of life.
All service members would see a pay bump of 4.5 %, whereas junior enlisted service members would obtain a focused pay elevate of 14.5 %. Different quality-of-life enhancements within the invoice embrace elevated cost-of-living and fundamental wants allowances, navy partner employment assist, and funding for little one care packages.
Whereas lawmakers on either side of the aisle have signaled assist for elevated troop pay and advantages, different provisions within the invoice have divided lawmakers over culture-war battle strains.
This newest model of the NDAA did away with a number of of the culture-war riders the Republican-led Home included in an earlier draft of the invoice, however it does embrace a provision barring the navy’s Tricare medical plan from protecting gender transitioning assist for navy dependents youthful than the age of 18. A number of Home Democrats cited opposition to this provision as they voted towards the NDAA’s Home passage final week.
The Home voted 281–140 in favor of the NDAA, with 16 Republicans and 124 Democrats opposing the invoice.
In a Senate flooring speech forward of the Wednesday vote, Senate Armed Providers Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-R.I.) echoed frustrations in regards to the Tricare provision however in the end urged his colleagues to assist the invoice, saying, “I’m assured it’ll present the Division of Protection and our navy women and men with the sources they should meet and defeat the nationwide safety threats we face.”
Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) likewise voiced his assist for the NDAA’s passage in a Senate flooring speech.
“The NDAA is just not good, however it nonetheless makes a number of vital advances Democrats fought for to safe America’s nationwide protection and take a powerful stand towards the Chinese language Communist Get together,” Schumer mentioned.
The NDAA describes the varied packages and insurance policies the U.S. navy is allowed to pursue within the coming yr, however a separate appropriation invoice is required to completely fund these packages.
In a Dec. 16 speech, Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) faulted the outgoing Democratic Senate majority for not passing the NDAA sooner and never having an accompanying appropriations invoice prepared. He additionally mentioned the Senate ought to’ve pursued the next spending topline on this yr’s NDAA.
The Related Press contributed to this text.