US Congress okays staggering $886bn military spending bill amid wars
The US House and Senate have approved a massive $886-billion military budget for 2024, sending the document to the White House for President Joe Biden to sign it into law.
More than two-thirds of the House of Representatives voted in favor of the military policy bill on Thursday. This year’s bill authorizes $28 billion, or about 3%, more than the previous fiscal year.
The 300-page National Defense Authorization Act would direct hundreds of millions of dollars toward sending weapons to Ukraine and Israel and push back against China's plans in the Indo-Pacific region.
It will extend by several months a controversial overseas electronic surveillance system that permits warrantless surveillance of foreign nationals.
The bill enables the US government to obtain intelligence by collecting communications records of non-extending authority for the surveillance program through April 19.
The program has been under scrutiny by privacy groups and some lawmakers.
The staggering military budget would also authorize $14.7 billion for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative and extend it through fiscal year 2024.
The bill would establish a training, advising and institutional capacity-building program for the military forces of the Chinese Taipei (Taiwan).
China has sovereignty over Taiwan, and under the "One China" policy, almost all world countries, including the US, recognize that sovereignty. However, Washington has long courted Taipei in an attempt to unnerve Beijing.
The bill also sets up a submarine deal at the heart of a new security partnership with Britain and Australia known as AUKUS.
The military policy bill will allow the gradual release of $300 million for the government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The document would provide funding for Washington to pay industry to produce weapons and military assistance to send to Ukraine, rather than drawing directly from current US stockpiles of weapons.
In a separate bill, Zelensky and Biden requested $61 billion from Congress for arming Ukraine by the end of the year. The program is still being debated.
Zelensky wrapped up a series of meetings in Washington this week with no guarantees that a Congressional aid package would be passed.
Nearly two years into the war in Ukraine, the Biden administration has provided Ukraine with more than $44 billion in military assistance.
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