The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Thursday passed in a bipartisan 350-80 vote in the House. It was approved under suspension of the rules, an expedited process to pass legislation in the House that requires a two-thirds majority.
'Important policy': "I can't go through every single item that is in this bill, but I can tell you that just about every member of this House has something in this bill that is important for policy, important in their district," House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said ahead of the vote. "This is important policy that makes a huge difference for the people in this body and the people in this country, and I've urged us to support it."
What's in it: The NDAA, legislation seen as a must-pass for Congress annually, includes an $817 billion top line for the Defense Department and about $30 billion to fund nuclear activities in the Department of Energy.
The bill lays out the blueprint for how the billions of dollars will be allocated at the Pentagon, including a 4.6 percent pay raise for both service members and the agency's civilian workforce, new weapons programs and equipment upgrades, and new programs and personnel policies.
Fast tracked: House leaders decided to use the fast-track process after a last-minute push from the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Wednesday night to set an accompanying vote on a bill bolstering the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which had previously passed through the House but stalled in the Senate. The lower chamber was initially scheduled to pass the defense bill on Wednesday but punted action to Thursday because of the CBC holdup.
Compromise: The final bill came together after months of negotiations between lawmakers of both parties and chambers, which bore victories for those on the left and right.
In a win for Republicans, the measure includes language that repeals the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for U.S. service members, which has been in place since August 2021.
The concession was seen as a surprise by many. The White House and Pentagon spoke out against it and similar measures to significantly limit the vaccine mandate were voted down in the House Armed Services Committee during the bill's markup earlier this year.
Lawmaker reactions: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) celebrated the victory Monday evening, calling the development "a win for our military."
Smith on Thursday said the original August 2021 mandate was the "absolute right policy" at the time, but he allowed that it now "does make sense to repeal that order."
He also urged the Pentagon to reevaluate its vaccine policy "and think about what the right and best policy would be."
Last minute holdups: Another stumbling block throughout negotiations was whether to include a deal on energy project permitting reform, which Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) had been pushing for. The initiative was ultimately excluded from the text, handing a significant victory to progressives who wanted it left out while dealing a blow to Manchin.
The Congressional Progressive Caucus released a statement Tuesday night, shortly before the bill text was released, officially staking its opposition to the permitting reform deal — signaling headwinds for Manchin and the fate of the NDAA with his initiative included.
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