U.S. President Joe Biden has signed a defense budget bill amounting to $895 billion. This was announced in a statement on the White House website.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was passed with bipartisan support in Congress after lengthy negotiations. The final version of the bill excludes some of the most contentious provisions, such as measures related to abortion and Pentagon initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion in the military.
However, the bill includes a provision, introduced by House Speaker Mike Johnson, that prohibits the military healthcare system Tricare from covering gender dysphoria treatment. President Biden expressed his opposition to this provision in a statement.
Under the bill, $850 billion is allocated for the base budget of the Department of Defense, while $33.5 billion is designated for nuclear weapons programs managed by the Department of Energy. Additionally, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved $25 billion for missile defense, shipbuilding, and the development of counter-drone technologies.
