Senate advances annual defense policy bill, teeing up final vote in coming days

The Senate on Monday cleared a key procedural hurdle toward passing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), teeing up a final vote in the coming days before Congress wraps up its work for the year. 

Senators voted 83-12 to advance the $895 billion annual defense policy package, setting up a vote on final passage by Wednesday, absent a time agreement that would expedite getting the package over the finish line. 

”I hope we can find a path to pass an NDAA as soon as tomorrow,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a floor speech ahead of the Monday vote, arguing the proposal is not “a perfect bill” but has some “very good things” that Democrats pushed for. 

The bill, which sets Pentagon policy for the year, passed the House 281 to 140 last week.

The annual bill usually passes with widespread bipartisan support, but that took a hit this year after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) pushed for a provision in the bill that would restrict the use of funds from TRICARE, the health care program for active-duty service members, for gender-affirming care for the children 18 years and younger of service members. That led numerous Democrats to vote against it. 

Even some Republicans signaled they were not pleased with the legislative change, which they say could have been made unilaterally by President-elect Trump after he takes office, sparing the legislative fight. Some lawmakers believe Johnson pushed for the change to shore up his right flank ahead of next month’s Speaker election. 

The Senate is expected to easily pass the NDAA as well, but some Democrats could side against it over the Johnson-led effort. 

”To be sure, the NDAA has some bad provisions Democrats would not have included,” Schumer said. “And there are other provisions that were left out of NDAA which we still hope can get done elsewhere.”

Among the items included in the bill are a 14.5 percent pay raise for junior enlisted troops and a 4.5 percent pay hike for all other military members. 

It also includes language barring the Defense Department from backing critical race theory in academic institutions or military training exercises that are run by the Pentagon, and another yearlong hiring freeze on positions related to diversity, equity and inclusion programs. 

The overall price tag checked in at a lower point than where some top Republicans were hopeful it would. Sen. Roger Wicker (Miss.), the top GOP member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) pushed for an additional $25 billion, but came up empty on that end. 

However, appropriators could still try to boost that figure via a full-year defense spending bill in the coming months. McConnell, who is leaving his perch as Republican leader at the end of the year, will take over atop the Defense subcommittee on the Senate Appropriations panel next year. 

The Kentucky Republican lamented this omission on Monday, calling it a “tremendous missed opportunity.” 

“Artificial budget restraints mean that major bill provisions, like a pay raise for enlisted service members, will come at the expense of investments in the critical weapons systems and munitions that deter conflict and keep them safe,” McConnell said Monday. “For all the talk about growing threats to America’s national security, it’s past time for an honest conversation about the military requirements to meet those needs.”

“If this NDAA offers any valuable lesson, it’s that we have a tremendous amount of work to do,” he added.