US House passes $1.2 trillion military policy Bill
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The Bill also contains provisions aimed at mitigating civilian deaths and injuries caused by US military operations.
PHOTO: AFP
WASHINGTON (NYTIMES) - The House on Thursday (July 14) passed a US$840 billion (S$1.2 trillion) policy Bill that would increase President Joe Biden's requested Pentagon budget by US$37 billion, reflecting a growing bipartisan appetite in Congress to ratchet up military spending amid new threats from Russia and China.
The legislation would grant a 4.6 per cent pay raise to military personnel, limit the Biden administration's ability to sell F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, and require top national security agencies to report on and combat white supremacist and neo-Nazi activity in federal law enforcement and the armed forces.
While the measure drew wide bipartisan support, passing 329-101, Republicans had unanimously opposed the mandate to root out white supremacy, arguing that no such effort was needed.
The Bill also contains provisions aimed at mitigating civilian deaths and injuries caused by US military operations and authorising US$100 million for assistance to Ukrainian military pilots.
And it would repeal the 2002 law authorising the invasion of Iraq, which has been stretched by multiple administrations to justify military action around the world.
"We have a complex threat environment, when you look at Russia and China and Iran," said Democratic Representative Adam Smith, chairman of the Armed Services Committee.
"The war in Ukraine is a devastating threat to peace, stability and democracy, not just in Eastern Europe, but across the globe that we are working with partners to try to address. So we have to make sure that we have a strong Bill."
House Democrats initially proposed meeting Mr Biden's requested military budget, but a bipartisan group on the Armed Services Committee overwhelmingly supported a measure by Democratic Representative Jared Golden to increase the amount by roughly 4.6 per cent.
"We need only look to world events in Ukraine, read reports regarding China's plans and actions in the South China Sea, or simply read the latest headlines about Iranian nuclear ambitions and North Korean missile tests, as well as ongoing terrorist threats, in order to see why this additional funding is necessary to meet the security challenges of our time," Mr Golden said.
In contrast, a perennial effort led by Democratic Representative Barbara Lee to reduce the Pentagon's budget - this year by US$100 billion - failed on Thursday on the House floor, in a resounding show of bipartisan opposition, 350-78.
