The House and Senate have both approved a sweeping $886 billion defense spending bill that will fund the Department of Defense for the next year.
Among other things, the bill includes a pay increase for service members and Pentagon staff, and additional money for sending weapons to Ukraine and Israel.
"This important legislation not only authorizes a 5.2% pay increase for service members and civilian employees... but directly invests in America's national security and military power projection to meet the challenges of the 21st century," Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing.
The bill includes $841.4 billion for the Department of Defense, $32.4 billion for national security programs within the Department of Energy, and $438 million in defense-related activities.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI) praised the Senate for passing the legislation.
"This year's bill strengthens our military posture and alliances in the Indo-Pacific, helping to secure our interests against China’s expanding ambitions. It supports Ukraine in its heroic fight against Russia, and it enhances our alliance with Israel. The bill will reinvigorate our industrial base and provide our military services with the cutting-edge platforms and technologies they need to keep Americans safe," Reed said in a statement.
"Most importantly, this [bill] takes care of our servicemembers and their families, providing the largest pay raise in decades and improving housing, education, and childcare access," he added.
The bill now heads to President Biden's desk for his signature.
Highlights include:
• Providing funding to support a 5.2 percent pay raise for both military servicemembers and the DOD civilian workforce, the largest increase in decades.
• Deterring China by increasing our investments in the Pacific Deterrence Initiative and establishing the Indo-Pacific Campaigning Initiative.
• Confronting Russia and supporting Ukraine by fully investing in the European Deterrence Initiative and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
• Supporting DOD activities relating to the security partnership among Australia, United Kingdom, and the United States, known as AUKUS.
• Authorizing critical investments in battle force ships, submarines, aircraft, combat vehicles, long-range artillery, and other equipment to maintain our combat advantage.
• Ensuring servicemembers have access to quality housing, including by broadening the authority to adjust the basic allowance for housing in high-cost areas, and directing improvements to enlisted housing.
• Authorizing increased funding for the military services' recruiting and advertising activities.
• Strengthening the national supply chain and the defense industrial base, including by providing waivers to streamline the acquisition of defense stocks related to Ukraine and authorizing additional munitions eligible for multiyear procurement contracts.
• Modernizing our military technology and capabilities, including hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and biotechnologies.
• Providing increased funding for military construction.
• Maintaining and modernizing our secure, credible nuclear deterrent.
• Advancing the development of various missile defense programs and systems.
• Strengthening the Department of Defense’s cybersecurity strategy and capabilities.