$717 billion Defense Authorization Bill for FY 19 passes Congress with bipartisan support, says DoD
NewsAugust 02, 2018
WASHINGTON. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) reports the passage of the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with bipartisan support: a vote of 87-10 in the Senate and 359-54 in the House. The FY19 NDAA authorizes a $717 billion national defense budget that builds up the U.S. military, increases lethality, strengthens strategic alliances and partnerships, and reforms the way the military conducts business.
The approved bill increases the authorized active-duty end strength of the U.S. military by 15,600; increases pay for service members by 2.6 percent, the largest increase in nine years; notes the importance of modernizing and strengthening the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to more effectively guard against the risk to national security posed by certain types of foreign investment; provides waiver relief to key U.S. partners and allies from certain Russian-related sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries through Sanctions Act; and strengthens the DoD's cyberdefenses, prioritizes readiness for U.S. Cyber Command, and affirms the cyber authorities of the Secretary of Defense, James M. Mattis.
"I am grateful for the strong commitment of members on both sides of the aisle to pass this year's NDAA in record time. Together, they have demonstrated the deep and abiding bipartisan support our military enjoys," said Secretary Mattis. "It is now our duty to implement these policies responsibly and ensure a culture of performance and accountability."
