Congress has passed its Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a must-pass bill laying out funding for the Defense Department, with the Senate approving it last night on an 87-13 vote and the House doing the same this morning by a margin of 310-118.
Each chamber previously passed its own version of the NDAA in July, but the two bills were miles apart from one another, with House Republicans tacking on a wide range of conservative amendments that were fiercely opposed by Democrats. The bill that passed today was a conference report, the product of a bicameral, bipartisan group of legislators that hashed out a deal broadly acceptable to both parties.
“While I don’t agree with everything in this bill, I’m proud to have delivered a deserved pay raise for our troops, investments in childcare facilities and maternal care, and much needed improvements to the military health system,” said Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown), a member of the conference committee that drafted the bill.
But five New Jerseyans across the two chambers – Senator Cory Booker, Democratic Reps. Donald Payne Jr. (D-Newark) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), and Republican Reps. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis) and Chris Smith (R-Manchester) – voted against the compromise bill.
“I voted NO on the NDAA because it represented yet another year of wasteful, irresponsible, unaccountable Defense spending,” Watson Coleman said of her vote. “$886 billion dollars could go a long way toward improving the lives of everyday working people. The people’s basic needs must come first.”
The NDAA (and one other bill came up immediately afterwards) is likely the final thing that the House will vote on this year; today was the final scheduled day of the House session, and most members have already headed home for the Christmas recess. The Senate, meanwhile, may stay in Washington a while longer to continue negotiations on foreign aid and immigration policies.