Congress Passes Defense Policy Bills, Stripping GOP Culture-War Demands

The House has passed the annual defense policy bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), in a bipartisan vote, rejecting most of the conservative demands to include provisions targeting Pentagon policies on abortion, diversity, and LGBTQ+ rights. The $886 billion bill authorizes military partnerships, pay raises for military personnel, procurement of new weapons, and missile-defense systems. It also extends the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. The compromise bill stripped away the hard-right's culture-war provisions, leading to criticism from some Republicans. The bill now heads to President Biden for his expected signature.