Senate passes $768 billion annual defense bill, sending measure to Biden

The Senate on Wednesday passed the 2022 annual defense bill, which authorizes programs and spending guidelines for the Pentagon and other national security programs. It now goes to President Biden's desk for signature. 

The House approved the must-pass bill last week after an earlier version stalled in the Senate over a stalemate over amendments. The bill comes amid a flurry of last-minute activity in both chambers, after they pushed to increase the debt ceiling to avoid default and as the Senate continues to negotiate Mr. Biden's signature social spending plan, the Build Back Better Act. 

This year's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) authorizes a topline funding of $768 billion for defense and national security, with $740 billion designated for the Department of Defense — which was $25 billion more for the Pentagon than Mr. Biden had requested.  

The Senate passed the bill 88-11, with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand among those voting no. Gillibrand had championed overhauling how the military handles sexual assault, but she said last week that the House-approved bill did not "reform the military justice system in a way that will truly help survivors get justice" since it did not remove commanders from the chain of command from handling all felonies. 

The bill includes pay raises for soldiers, as well as funding for aid to Ukraine, UFO research and $7.1 billion for the Indo-Pacific Deterrence Initiative to deter China. 

Eleanor Watson, Ellis Kim and Jack Turman contributed to this report.