by Matt Agorist, The Free Thought Project:
The $886.3 billion defense budget is headed for President Joe Biden’s desk and Congress is headed home for the holidays, its business concluded—albeit not finished—for the year.
(Epoch Times) The House on Dec. 14 approved the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (FY24 NDAA) in a 310–118 vote, ensuring its passage a day after the Senate adopted the massive appropriations measure in an 87–13 tally.
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The NDAA earmarks $841.5 billion for the Department of Defense (DOD)—nearly $32 billion, or 3 percent, more than the FY23 NDAA—$32.26 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration, and $12.1 billion in defense-related allocations for other federal agencies.
Both chambers adopted their respective defense budgets in July. The NDAA is one of 12 appropriations bills that constitute the federal government’s yearly budget. Five have now been adopted for FY24, which began Oct. 1. Parts of the federal government are operating under continuing resolutions.
A Senate–House conference committee reconciled differences in the chamber budgets for two months. On Dec. 6, it produced a 3,093-page draft NDAA, 718-page conference report, and a bucket of parliamentary worms that, ultimately, provided the only intrigue during the must-pass bill’s last unpassed days.
The NDAA includes a 5.2-percent pay raise for service members, $145 billion for research into artificial intelligence and hypersonics, investments in Space Force and many, many things—$886.3 billion worth.
Below are 10 takeaways from the slow-walked NDAA’s sudden Dec. 13–14 rocket-docket dash through the Senate and House, three months after the federal fiscal year began, and six months after both chambers passed seminal budgets.
Crosshairs on China
The NDAA includes hundreds of allocations to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) growing, aggressive military as the Pentagon’s top “pacing challenge.”
The budget boosts Taiwan’s and Guam’s defense, requests an analysis of a how a 2030 war with China would unfold, tracks defense contractors’ investments in China and China’s investments in defense contractors, and mandates an adjusted Navy shipbuilding plan that emphasizes platforms geared to thwart China’s projected 500-ship navy.
The NDAA establishes a $500 million Taiwan Foreign Military Financing fund and earmarks $108 million to authorize “a comprehensive training, advising, and institutional capacity-building program” for Taiwan’s military.
The budget commits billions to Guam’s defense with deployment of a Marine regiment and Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow 3 missile defense systems.
The NDAA boosts alliances with Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK with $9.1 billion for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, a 40 percent increase.
FISA Fight
The NDAA’s Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Section 702 extension was fiercely, but futilely, contested on both chamber’s floors.
FISA Section 702 allows intelligence agencies to intercept foreign communications without warrants. It provides a “back door” to ferret through Americans’ conversations with foreign nationals, conservatives say.
Section 702 expires Dec. 31. House Armed Forces Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said extending it to mid-April provides time to reform FISA while not handcuffing intelligence agencies.
“By God, let’s reform it,” Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) said, “but do not let it expire. If it expires, Americans and allies will die.”
Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) maintained the extension should be separately debated, is not related to defense, and would reauthorize it for 16 months, not four.
“What we’re going to do is pile an extension of FISA on the backs of our men and women in uniform,” Mr. Roy said.
Yoked to Woke
When the House adopted its defense budget in July, it included amendments banning the DOD’s paid-leave abortion policy, gender-transition treatments and surgeries for service members and their families, and funding for on-base drag shows.
None are in the NDAA reported out of conference committee Dec. 6, approved by the Senate Dec. 12, and endorsed by the House Dec. 13.
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