The Senate voted in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference report on Wednesday, sending it to President Donald Trump‘s desk for final approval.
It passed the Senate by a vote of 87 to 10, with the approval of both Alabama Senators. The bill authorizes a total of $716 billion for national defense priorities. Specifically, the bill gives U.S. troops a 2.6 percent raise, which is the largest pay increase for our service members in nearly a decade. This bill also aligns policies and resources to assist in implementing this administration’s National Defense Strategy.
“Passage of the defense authorization bill this early in the year is a hard-fought achievement for the Senate,” said Alabama U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and its Subcommittee on Defense. “It is of the utmost importance that we prioritize our national security by properly funding our military and ensuring that they are highly trained and well-equipped to best defend the United States. This is an important step, and I look forward to securing our Defense Department’s funding through the appropriations process.”
On June 11th, the Senate passed its version of the NDAA. Since then, conferees in both the House and the Senate have worked to iron out the differences between their bills.
The president is expected to sign the bill into law quickly.
