IRIA News

The United States House of Representatives and Senate passed the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on December 14, 2023. The act, worth more than $886 billion, now awaits President Joe Biden’s signature to become a law.

The U.S. lawmakers have passed a massive annual defense spending bill with 310 to 118 majority voting in the House and 87 to 13 majority in the Senate, approving $886 billion. The U.S. defense budget bill for this year, a nearly 31,000-page document, has seen a 3% increase in defense spending compared to last year.

The documents put a strong emphasis on the increasing threat from the Russia-China coalition and provide extensive defense details about the programs that would be initiated to counter the threat.

The NDAA “will ensure America can hold the line against Russia, stand firm against the Chinese Communist Party, and ensures that America’s military remains state-of-the-art at all times all around the world,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said before the vote.

Some notable areas of emphasis for this year’s NDAA include:

Military aid for Ukraine and Israel

The voting on the bill comes only days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy concluded his crucial trip to Washington as he rallied support from the U.S. Congress on increasing military support for Ukraine for its fight against the Russian invasion.

Zelenskyy’s trip to the U.S. and plea for military aid made an insignificant impact on the decisions of the U.S. lawmakers who have been skeptical about Kyiv’s effort to control corruption.

The bill extends one measure to help Ukraine, the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, through the end of 2026, authorizing $300 million for the program in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, and the next one. The figure approved by the House is tiny compared to the actual $61 billion requested by the White House.

The legislation allocates substantial support to Israel in defense cooperation with the United States. Israel is set to receive hundreds of millions of dollars, encompassing $500 million for missile-defense collaboration, $47.5 million for emerging defense technologies, and $55 million for the U.S.-Israel counter-drone program.

The bill also includes provisions for training the Israeli Air Force in aerial refueling. It is important to note that this funding is distinct from the Biden administration’s $106 billion supplemental foreign aid request, which faces challenges in Congress due to debates over Ukraine’s inclusion and Republican calls for enhanced security measures at the southern U.S. border.

Focus on Indo-Pacific

One of the largest proportions of military and defense funds has been set aside to counter China’s rise in the Indo-Pacific region. The legislation would empower the Pacific Deterrence Initiative with a substantial $14.7 billion allocation, extending its mandate through fiscal year 2024. Additionally, it introduces a program focused on training, advising, and building institutional capacities for the military forces of Taiwan.

Moreover, the bill facilitates the realization of the AUKUS agreement among the U.S., United Kingdom, and Australia, authorizing the eventual sale of nuclear-capable submarines to Australia. It further institutes the Indo-Pacific Campaigning Initiative, designed to augment the frequency and scale of exercises conducted by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, reflecting a multifaceted commitment to regional security and cooperation.

Support for service members and families

The legislative package includes a comprehensive set of initiatives, particularly aimed at enhancing the compensation and benefits of service members of the U.S. Forces, with the overarching goal of bolstering recruitment and retention within the armed forces.

One of the most prominent aspects of the proposal is a proposed 5.2% increase in basic pay for service members along with the introduction of a monthly bonus specifically designed for junior enlisted personnel.

The bill also addresses the concerns of the declining number of recruitments by recalibrating the Basic Allowance for Housing calculation. The adjustment is strategically tailored to augment reimbursements for junior enlisted service members and empower them to contend with the escalating rents prevalent more effectively in many areas.

Additionally, the bill has also introduced Basic Needs Allowance, an allowance fund intended to offer crucial financial support to low-income service members with families.

The bill aims to improve the living conditions of the service personnel by allocating an additional $38 million beyond the budget request for the construction of new family housing. A further allocation of $356 million above the budget request is designated for the renovation and construction of new barracks, ensuring that military personnel are afforded modern and adequate living spaces.

The legislative package has introduced measures to broaden reimbursement coverage for relicensing or business-related costs. Moreover, it recognizes the demands of service-related relocations on federal government employees who are spouses of service members.

To mitigate potential disruptions to the careers of military personnel, the bill facilitates telework options, allowing forces employees to maintain employment continuity during periods of relocation.

Reducing the effects of “Woke Culture”

The bill has put a strong emphasis on reducing the effects of the “woke culture” on military personnel. The package prohibits any kind of funding for the teaching, training, or promotion of Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the military, including at service academies and Department of Defense schools.

CRT is a framework analyzing the intersection of race, law, and power. It contends that racism is ingrained in legal systems and institutions, emphasizing historical and structural impacts. The bill also prohibits the display of any unapproved flags, such as the LGBTQ pride flag, at military installations.

The bill advocates suspending the programs aimed at hiring personnel based on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) until the U.S. Government Accountability Office completes an investigation of the Pentagon’s DEI programs. Plus, the bill would cut and cap the base pay of DEI staffers at $70,000 a year.