WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - The United States Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday (June 11) unveiled its version of the annual National Defence Authorisation Act, or NDAA, a US$740 billion (S$1.03 trillion) Bill setting policy for the Defence Department on everything from troop salaries and equipment purchases to great power competition with China.
The 2021 Bill also wades into current controversies revolving around racial issues highlighted by protests after Minneapolis police killed Mr George Floyd, an African American.
The proposed NDAA, which is several steps from becoming law, backs renaming bases named after Confederate generals and bars the use of the military against peaceful protests.
This year's Bill, like others in recent years, includes provisions focused on China, including creating the "Pacific Deterrence Initiative", a nearly US$7 billion fund focused on competition in the Indo-Pacific.
It also includes measures to strengthen the US supply chain, after the coronavirus crisis exposed companies' dependence on China, and extends limitations on integrating missile defence systems with those of China.
The NDAA authorises US$44 million for vaccine and biotechnology research, another response to the coronavirus pandemic.
It requires new reports on risks posed by the use of technology from Huawei, a Chinese company regarded in Washington as a security threat but whose 5G networking products are widely used around the world.
The Bill also authorised US$9.1 billion for 95 F-35 aircraft, which are made by Lockheed Martin Corp. And it authorised the Air Force to modify six F-35s originally sold to Turkey. They were never delivered due to a disagreement over Ankara's purchase of a Russian missile defence system.
The Republican-led panel backed the Bill by 25-2.
To become law for the 60th consecutive year, the 2021 NDAA must be reconciled with a version of the Bill from the Democratic-led House of Representatives before it can pass Congress and be sent for Republican President Donald Trump's signature or veto.
