House OKs defense bill with China, Russia initiatives

WASHINGTON — The House on Tuesday overwhelmingly passed a $768 billion defense policy bill after lawmakers abruptly dropped proposals that would have required women to register for the draft, repealed the 2002 authorization of the Iraq war and imposed sanctions for a Russian gas pipeline, in a late-year drive to salvage a bipartisan priority.

The legislation, unveiled just hours before the vote, put the Democratic-led Congress on track to increase the Pentagon’s budget by roughly $24 billion above what President Joe Biden had requested, angering anti-war progressives who had hoped that their party’s control of the White House and both houses of Congress would lead to cuts to military programs after decades of growth.

Instead, the measure provides significant increases for initiatives intended to counter China and bolster Ukraine, as well as the procurement of new aircraft and ships, underscoring the bipartisan consensus on Capitol Hill for continuing to spend huge amounts of federal money on defense initiatives.

“One of the major challenges our military faces right now is dealing with the rapid pace of technology; is getting the Pentagon to better and more quickly adopt the innovative technologies that we need to meet our national security threats,” said Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., chair of the Armed Services Committee. “Those threats are very real.”

The lopsided 363-70 vote Tuesday sent the legislation to the Senate, where it is expected to pass with strong bipartisan support as soon as this week.

The legislation would authorize a 2.7% pay increase for the nation’s military, call for an independent commission to scrutinize the war in Afghanistan, and prohibit the Pentagon from procuring items produced with forced labor in China.