Senate passes defense bill despite culture-war pushback from GOP hardliners
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A man walks amid wrecked cars in Dniprovskyi district after a missile explosion on Dec. 13 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photo: Oleksii Chumachenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
The Senate on Wednesday passed a $886 billion defense bill, advancing funding and setting policy for the Pentagon.
Why it matters: The move goes against demands from staunchly conservative Republicans, who tried to add provisions to the bill that took on culture war issues that have become a cornerstone of the GOP agenda.
- These include proposed amendments on abortion, diversity, equity and inclusion programs and transgender health care.
The big picture: The annual bill has been passed by Congress on a bipartisan basis for the past 61 years.
- On Wednesday, the Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in a bipartisan 87-13 vote.
Zoom in: The Senate bill includes $844.3 billion for the Department of Defense and $32.4 billion for the Department of Energy's national security initiatives.
- It also authorizes a full budget request of $300 million for 2024.
What they're saying: "At a time of huge trouble for global security, doing the defense authorization bill is more important than ever," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on the Senate floor.
- "Passing the NDAA enables us to hold the line against Russia, stand firm against the Chinese Communist Party and ensure America's defense remain state of the art at all times," he added.
What's next: The bill now heads to the House, where some conservative Republicans have opposed the packages over the omission of their provisions.
Go deeper: Scoop: House Freedom Caucus compares Mike Johnson to John Boehner
Editor's note: This article has been updated with more comment from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and further context.
