Defense & National Security — Congress sends mammoth defense bill to Biden

The Senate has passed the annual defense authorization bill, sending the $858 billion measure to President Biden’s desk for his signature just before the year-end deadline.

We’ll share how the Senate got the measure passed and what’s in it, plus details on a push to boost foreign military aid for Taiwan and Ukraine in the next congressional budget package and a new Russian warning for the U.S.

This is Defense & National Security, your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. For The Hill, I’m Ellen Mitchell. Subscribe here or in the box below.

Senate approves $858 billion defense bill

The measure formally known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Thursday passed in the Senate with an overwhelming bipartisan majority, 83-11. 

The makeup: It provides $45 billion more for defense than called for in Biden’s budget, including allocating $817 billion to the Department of Defense and $30 billion to the Department of Energy. 

Meeting the deadline: Thursday’s vote caps weeks of wrangling over floor timing and controversial policy changes, such as language demanded by conservative Republicans to end the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, which has been in place since August of 2021.  

It marks the 61st year in a row that Congress has passed the defense bill on time, a notable achievement given the legislative gridlock that has reigned on Capitol Hill in recent years. 

Celebrations in order: Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-R.I.) cheered the passage of the bill after months of negotiation, calling it “the most significant vote of the year.”  

“I’ve said it before and I’m not the only one saying it — the world is a more dangerous place than I’ve ever seen before in my lifetime,” he said. 

Passage of the defense bill is also a victory for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who identified it as a top priority in the lame-duck session. 

All clear: The Biden administration earlier this week criticized the vaccine mandate repeal as “a mistake” but the president is still expected to sign the legislation when it reaches his desk. 

Last-minute wrangling: Senators approved the legislation after voting down an amendment sponsored by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) to enact permitting reform for energy projects and another sponsored by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) to require the military to rehire and provide back-pay to service members forced out of work because of vaccine non-compliance.  

Both amendments needed 60 votes to pass. 

And Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) asked for a vote on his amendment to cap fees charged by trial lawyers in cases representing Marines who became ill because of water contamination at North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune.

He later withdrew it because he expected it to fail but pledged to work with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, on a compromise before the end of the year. 

What’s in it: The Senate passage comes exactly a week after the House passed the bill, which lays out how the Defense Department allocates hundreds of billions of dollars toward weapons programs and provides a 4.6 percent raise in service members’ salaries. 

It authorizes $163 billion for procurement, compared to the $144 billion requested in Biden’s budget; $139 billion for research and development, compared to the $130 billion requested by Biden; and $279 billion for operation and maintenance, compared to the $271 billion requested by Biden. 

In addition, it authorizes $211 for personnel and health, roughly the same that Biden requested; $19 billion for military construction and $30 billion for defense related nuclear programs.  

The bill includes intended military aid to other countries, such as $10 billion to Taiwan through 2027 and another $800 million in security assistance for Ukraine. 

It allocates $6 billion for the European Deterrence Initiative, a program initiated in 2014 after Russia’s annexation of Crimea to increase the readiness of U.S. forces in Europe to deter further aggression. 

Read the rest here 

COMMITTEE CHAIRS PUSH TO BOOST TAIWAN, UKRAINE WEAPONS SALES

A bipartisan group of lawmakers on foreign relations panels are urging Senate and House leadership to pass additional military spending for Taiwan and Ukraine in the next congressional budget package. 

Who signed on: Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and ranking member James Risch (R-Idaho), asked for $500 million to support Ukrainian troops and another $250 million to support allies of Ukraine on top of what was included in the House-passed NDAA. 

The senators were joined by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) and ranking member Michael McCaul (R-Texas) in Thursday’s letter to congressional leadership. 

Their reasoning: They said growing tensions in Taiwan, which the U.S. fears could see an invasion from China, call for $500 million in emergency appropriations and another $1 billion in presidential drawdown spending, which draws from the Defense Department’s stocks, for the democratic island nation. 

“The threat Taiwan faces is both urgent and unprecedentedly large,” the letter reads. “As the war in Ukraine has demonstrated, it is imperative that the United States provide partners with strategic, long-term security assistance well in advance of conflict in order to effectively deter, and, when necessary, to respond to acts of aggression.” 

Read that story here 

Russia warns of ‘unpredictable consequences’

Russia hit back at reports that the U.S. is poised to send the Patriot air defense system to Ukraine, calling it a “provocative” move that “can lead to unpredictable consequences.” 

The U.S. has not yet announced the decision to send the advanced systems, which could help Ukraine fend off a barrage of Russian missile strikes, but multiple reports indicated such an announcement could come this week. 

The threat “If this is confirmed, we will witness yet another provocative step by the administration, which can lead to unpredictable consequences,” the Russian Embassy in Washington said in a statement. “Continued deliveries of arms will only strengthen the Zelensky regime’s sense of impunity and push it to new crimes against civilians in Donbass, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.” 

“Washington’s strategy causes enormous damage not only to the Russian-American relations, but also creates additional risks for global security,” the Russian Embassy said, blaming the U.S. for Russia’s ongoing invasion. 

Earlier: The U.S. and NATO countries have already sent other air defense systems to Ukraine, including two shipments of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System. But Patriots, made by U.S. firm Raytheon, are the most advanced surface-to-air missile defense systems NATO has in its repertoire. 

Why it’s a big deal: Such a system could help Ukraine shoot down bigger threats from further away, but the U.S. so far has balked at sending Patriots in part because of concerns over it being viewed as an escalation by Moscow. 

Answering the call: The deliveries would answer the repeated calls from Kyiv for more advanced systems from the West at a time when Russia is launching rounds of missile strikes aimed at Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and other targets. 

Read the full story here 

ON TAP TOMORROW

The Middle East Institute will hold its 11th annual Turkey Conference at 9 a.m. 

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That’s it for today. Check out The Hill’s Defense and National Security pages for the latest coverage. See you tomorrow!