"Culture war demands removed from defense policy bill, lawmakers respond"

The final version of the annual defense policy bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), is expected to be voted on by Congress next week. The compromise legislation, agreed upon by negotiators from the Republican-led House and Democratic-led Senate, removes contentious provisions pushed by hard-right lawmakers, such as restrictions on abortion access for U.S. service members. This represents a defeat for the GOP's right flank, with some prominent Republicans denouncing the bill as a "total sell-out of conservative principles." The bill includes a pay raise for military personnel, expands military cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, and extends support for Ukraine. It also includes an amendment preventing any U.S. president from withdrawing from NATO without congressional approval.