House passes annual defense bill with massive military budget but rejects "dirty deal"
Washington DC - The US House on Thursday passed its annual defense budget bill with a whopping $858 billion set aside for military spending, but rejected a so-called "dirty deal."
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an annual bill that sets the military budget for the following year, passed in the lower chamber on Thursday with a 350-80 vote.
Among other provisions, the $858 billion allotted for defense includes:
$817 billion set aside for the Department of Defense
- $30 billion for Department of Energy nuclear activities
- $800 million in military aid for Ukraine
- Up to $10 billion over 10 years for Taiwan
- 4.6% pay raises for active military personnel
The 2023 budget poses an 8% increase over that of 2022. It gives $45 billion more to the Defense Department than President Joe Biden had originally requested. Even though the NDAA accounts for this spending in the budget, Congress must pass an appropriations bill before the funds are actually doled out.
In a win for Republicans, the bill also includes language to repeal the Covid-19 vaccine mandate for members of the US military 30 days after the legislation is signed into law.
House rejects Sen. Joe Manchin's "dirty deal"
The House rejected a proposal promoted by Joe Manchin to include provisions that would weaken environmental protections and fast-track permitting for fossil fuel construction projects, often referred to as the West Virginia senator's "dirty deal."
Lawmakers often use the NDAA, which regularly moves through Congress with strong bipartisan support, as a means of passing other legislative priorities.
On Tuesday, more than 750 organizations sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer expressing their opposition to Manchin's plan.
Climate and environmental justice activists and frontline communities celebrated the House's decision on Thursday but noted that the fight is not yet over as the NDAA moves to the Senate.
Our Revolution and other climate activists are urging Americans to call their senators to demand they reject the #DirtyDeal.
Cover photo: Drew Angerer / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP