By Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate backed legislation on Thursday paving the way for the defense budget to hit a record $858 billion next year, $45 billion more than proposed by President Joe Biden.
As voting continued, senators supported the fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, an annual must-pass bill setting policy for the Pentagon, by an overwhelming 84-10, with strong support from both Republicans and Democrats.
Since the House of Representatives passed the measure last week, the fiscal 2023 NDAA will head to the White House, where Biden is expected to quickly sign it into law.
The NDAA authorizes $858 billion in military spending and includes a 4.6% pay increase for the troops, funding for purchases of weapons, ships and aircraft, and support for Taiwan as it faces aggression from China and Ukraine as it fights an invasion by Russia.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle, additional reporting by Richard Cowan, editing by Sandra Maler)
