Senate passes final FY-25 defense authorization bill

By Tony Bertuca / December 18, 2024 at 1:07 PM

The Senate voted today 85-14 to pass the final version of the fiscal year 2025 defense authorization bill, sending the $895 billion piece of legislation to President Biden for his signature.

Biden is expected to sign the bill into law, making it the 64th consecutive year the legislation will be passed.

The bill, which passed the House last week 281-140, includes numerous provisions related to U.S. military policy and honors the spending cap set by the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

Democratic lawmakers have noted their opposition to a controversial provision in the bill “airdropped” by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) that would block the military’s health care program, TRICARE, from covering transgender medical treatment for the children of servicemembers.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI), prior to the bill’s passage, acknowledged the concerns of Republicans, who hoped to see a higher topline that broke the FRA cap and Democrats, who had sought to remove the transgender provision.

“Ultimately though, we have before us a very strong National Defense Authorization Act,” he said. “I am confident it will provide the Department of Defense and our military men and women with the resources they need to meet and defeat the national security threats we face.”

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the ranking member of the committee who is expected to become chairman in January when the GOP takes the chamber’s majority, said he hopes Congress will work “early next year” to increase defense spending.

Wicker and his team are working on a proposal to increase defense spending via an upcoming budget reconciliation bill.

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