US House passes $901B defense policy bill

WASHINGTON

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) -- a $901 billion measure that outlines the Pentagon’s policies.

The bill cleared the lower chamber in a 312-112 vote, sending it to the Senate for consideration.

Key provisions in the 3,086-page bill include $800 million for Ukraine -- $400 million for each of the next two years -- as part of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative and repealing Caesar sanctions on Syria under the former Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad.

The bill also provides $600 million in funding for Israel, including funding for joint missile defense initiatives such as the Iron Dome system.

It counters threats from China and ensures mission success in the Indo-Pacific. The bill also funds the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative at $1 billion.

The NDAA also authorizes the US Department of Defense to collect funds from NATO allies to offset the cost of US force posture in Eastern Europe. It requires the US European Command (EUCOM) commander to conduct an annual assessment of how the US and NATO are maintaining a comparative military advantage against Russia.

It also requires the Pentagon to assess the impact on US security prior to reducing its force structure in Europe below 76,000.

Ahead of the voting, the primary sponsor of the bill, Rep. Mike Rogers, said it is "a good product" that was worked in a bipartisan fashion.

"This is a strong bipartisan bill that delivers for our war fighters and deters our adversaries," Rogers added.