House passes $768 billion defense spending bill

• 135 Republicans joined 181 Democrats to pass the legislation.

Worth noting: The conservative House Freedom Caucus had slammed the legislation earlier this week, arguing that the Biden administration needs to be held accountable for the U.S.'s controversial withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Among other provisions, the 2022 NDAA:

• Gives U.S. service members a 2.7% pay raise.
• Establishes a $15 minimum wage for service and construction contracts.
• Fortifies protections against foreign threats, especially from the Chinese Communist Party.
• Bolsters the U.S.-Israel alliance.
• Updates the Uniform Code of Military Justice to improve responses to sexual assault.
• Allocate $500 million to Afghan resettlement.
• Calls on the Department of Defense to accept accountability and provide restitution for the Aug. 29 drone strike that killed at least 10 civilians in Kabul.
• Ends a previous policy that barred the transfer of prisoners from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.

What's next: The Senate will pass its own version of the bill, and is expected to work out any differences with the House in the coming months.