{"id":2126368,"date":"2023-12-15T16:51:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-15T21:51:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-passes-883-7b-defense-bill-with-5-2-pay-raise-for-service-members\/"},"modified":"2023-12-15T16:53:05","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T21:53:05","slug":"senate-passes-883-7b-defense-bill-with-5-2-pay-raise-for-service-members","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-passes-883-7b-defense-bill-with-5-2-pay-raise-for-service-members\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate approves $883.7B Defense Bill, includes 5.2% pay raise for service members"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsenate-passes-883-7b-defense-bill-with-5-2-pay-raise-for-service-members%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2126368&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><\/figure>\n<p>OAN\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/tag\/brooke-mallory\">Brooke Mallory<\/a><br \/>1:48 PM \u2013 Friday, December 15, 2023<\/p>\n<p><strong>A \u2062typically bipartisan endeavor became polarized when\u200b the Senate approved a defense policy bill on Wednesday that authorizes the\u2063 largest pay increase for troops in over \u206320 years while simultaneously\u2063 eliminating many of\u200c the policy goals that\u2063 conservatives had been demanding.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-3\" style=\"min-width: 320px; min-height: 50px; text-align: center;\">  \t<script>  \t\tgoogletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-3'); });  \t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"ad-slot__ad-label\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>After passing radically different versions of\u2063 the measure in both Houses in July, \u200dlawmakers have been working on a final version for months.\u200d In order to \u2063bring the final product across the finish \u2064line, negotiators \u2063removed several of the conservative demands that were \u201cunacceptable\u201d to Democrats.<\/p>\n<p>By a vote of 87\u201313, the Senate approved the \u2063measure. It now moves to the House, where opponents have expressed their concerns more outspokenly.<\/p>\n<p>The measure \u200ddoes \u200bnot contain language that would have restricted access\u2063 to \u201cgender-affirming care\u201d\u2063 for transgender service members and their families and it did \u200bnot include verbiage to insinuate that the Pentagon\u2019s abortion travel policy would be blocked. <\/p>\n<p>However, \u200cin regards to diversity and \u200dinclusion training in the military, Republicans triumphed in\u2062 winning some compromises. For\u200c instance, the measure prohibits employment for diversity and inclusion training\u200c unless all\u200d programs\u2062 and expenses have been \u2064fully recorded and submitted to Congress.<\/p>\n<p>The bill also establishes important Pentagon policies, which legislators will\u2063 try\u200d to \u2062pay\u200b for with an additional appropriations\u200b bill. The bill\u2019s 5.2% rise in service member pay, the largest\u200d increase in\u2063 over 20\u200b years, \u200cwas emphasized by lawmakers. For\u200b the\u200b current fiscal year, which started on October 1<sup>st<\/sup>, the bill allocates $886 billion for \u2063national\u2063 military initiatives, which \u2063is about 3% higher \u2063than\u200c the previous year.<\/p>\n<p>The bill would ensure \u201cAmerica\u2019s military remains state of the art at all times all around\u2063 the world,\u201d\u2064 according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer \u200c(D-N.Y.).<\/p>\n<p>A short-term extension of a monitoring \u2064program with the goal of\u200d stopping \u200cterrorism and apprehending spies is also included in the law. However, critics of the program from both political parties also see it as\u2062 a danger in some ways\u2063 regarding the privacy of Americans. <\/p>\n<p>The\u2062 renewal keeps in place a program that enables the U.S. government to get foreign information by intercepting communications\u2063 from non-U.S. citizens abroad without obtaining a warrant.<\/p>\n<p>According to U.S. authorities, \u2064the tool, which was initially approved in \u200d2008 and has subsequently been \u2063extended a number of times, is essential for thwarting cyber attacks, terror attacks, and \u2062other \u200bthreats to national security.<\/p>\n<p>However, the\u2063 administration has also faced significant resistance from both parties in its attempts to get the\u200b program reauthorized.\u2063 Longtime civil rights advocate Democrat \u200bSenator \u200cRon\u2063 Wyden\u2064 (D-Ore.) has teamed \u200cup with former President\u200b Donald Trump\u2019s Republican backers to demand more privacy \u200dsafeguards\u2063 for Americans and has put \u2064forth a number of rival measures.<\/p>\n<p>House Speaker Mike\u200c Johnson (R-La.) was obliged to schedule a \u2064vote on the military policy measure using a procedure\u200c usually designated for noncontroversial legislation, since there \u200dis now enough opposition within the GOP ranks. Going that \u200dpath eliminates the possibility of a few Republicans opposing the measure through a procedural vote,\u2062 but it will require the support of \u2063at least two-thirds of the House to \u2064pass.<\/p>\n<p>Although a procedure like this would make the measure easier to pass, Johnson might lose \u2063favor with some\u2063 of the House\u2019s most conservative members.<\/p>\n<p>Former\u2062 House Speaker Kevin McCarthy \u2063(R-Calif.) learned recently that it just takes a few \u2064Republicans to effectively shut down\u2062 House \u200bbusiness or to end a speaker\u2019s term, since eight\u2063 Republicans had just teamed up \u2063with Democrat members to remove\u200d him from office.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p><strong>The White House\u200d urged\u2062 for a swift passage of the defense \u2064bill,\u2062 saying it\u2062 \u201cprovides the critical authorities \u2064we need to build the military required \u200bto deter future conflicts while\u2063 supporting \u2062the servicemembers and their spouses\u200d and families who carry out that mission\u2064 every day.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Stay \u200dinformed! Receive breaking news blasts\u2062 directly\u2062 to your inbox for free. \u2062Subscribe here. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/alerts\">https:\/\/www.oann.com\/alerts<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"rc-widget-10bad2\" data-rc-widget data-widget-host=\"habitat\" data-endpoint=\"\/\/trends.revcontent.com\" data-widget-id=\"278641\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"dpsp-share-text\" style=\"margin-bottom:10px\"> \t\t<strong>Share \u2063this \u2062post!<\/strong>\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Chicago students from low-income \u2062families would get the opportunity to attend private\u2064 schools with help from a \u2063<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chicago-teachers-union-threatens-to-axe-scholarship-tax-credit-for-low-income-students\/\" title=\"Chicago Teachers Union may eliminate scholarship tax credit for low-income students\">scholarship\u2063 tax credit program<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p><strong>with Luke Ball<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p><strong>with Bob Bianchi<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p><strong>with Marc Morano<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>The SEC denied a petition by the country\u2019s\u200b largest crypto exchange Coinbase Global asking the agency to \u2063create new rules for the digital asset industry.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>OpenAI \u2063CEO Sam Altman has doubled down \u200don his vision for Worldcoin, following\u2063 reports the \u200ccompany was seeking $50 million in funding.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Hewlett Packard said on Friday HP Inc\u2019s finance chief Marie Myers would join the server maker as its chief financial officer.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Pope Francis has\u2064 called for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/christian-rapper-exposes-satanic-music-industry\/\" title=\"Christian rapper exposes satanic music industry\">legally\u2064 binding international treaty<\/a> to regulate \u200cartificial\u200b intelligence.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \u2062rnrn  <\/p>\n<h2> What are the key provisions of the defense policy bill, and why have they received bipartisan support?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  T passage of the defense policy bill, highlighting the importance of maintaining a strong\u200c and modern military. \u2062The bill&#8217;s\u2064 provisions, including\u200b the largest pay increase for\u2064 troops in over \u200c20 years, have drawn bipartisan support. However, there are also divisive elements within the bill that have led to polarization \u200dand opposition from certain groups.<\/p>\n<p>The passage of the defense policy bill in the Senate marked a significant achievement, with lawmakers from both \u2063parties coming together to approve the measure. After months\u200d of negotiations and the removal of certain conservative demands,\u2063 the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-pressure-biden-to-bring-home-former-marine-imprisoned-by-russia\/\" title=\"Republicans Pressure Biden To Bring Home Former Marine Imprisoned By Russia\">bill received bipartisan support<\/a> in the Senate, with a vote of 87-13. Now, \u2063the\u2063 bill moves to the House, where opponents are expected to voice their concerns more vehemently.<\/p>\n<p>One of the contentious issues in the bill is the exclusion of language \u2063that would have restricted access to &#8220;gender-affirming care&#8221; for transgender service members and their families. \u2062Additionally, the \u2062bill does not include verbiage that would block the Pentagon&#8217;s\u2063 abortion travel policy. These\u200c omissions have drawn criticism from conservative groups who view them as\u200c a disregard for their policy goals.<\/p>\n<p>However, the \u200cbill does make some compromises regarding diversity \u200cand inclusion training in the military. Republicans were able to secure provisions that prohibit employment for diversity and inclusion training unless all programs and expenses are fully recorded and submitted to Congress. These compromises reflect the ongoing\u200d debate surrounding these issues and the efforts to find \u2064common \u2064ground.<\/p>\n<p>The defense policy bill also establishes important Pentagon policies that \u2062will be funded through an additional appropriations bill. Lawmakers have \u2063emphasized the bill&#8217;s 5.2% increase\u200b in \u2062service member pay,\u2062 the largest in over 20 years. The bill allocates $886 billion for \u200dnational military initiatives, which is about 3% higher\u200c than the previous year. This funding is crucial to ensuring that America&#8217;s military remains \u2063state-of-the-art and capable of\u2063 addressing threats around the world.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to the military provisions, the bill includes a short-term extension of a monitoring program aimed at \u2064countering terrorism and apprehending spies. This program allows the U.S. government to intercept communications\u2063 from non-U.S. citizens abroad without obtaining a warrant. While authorities \u2063argue that this program is essential for national security, critics from both\u2064 parties have raised\u2063 concerns about its impact on\u2062 the privacy of Americans.<\/p>\n<p>The renewal of this program has faced resistance from both Democrats\u200d and Republicans, with calls \u2064for \u2064stronger privacy safeguards.\u200d Democrat Senator Ron Wyden and Republican backers of former President Donald\u2064 Trump have joined forces to push for additional privacy measures. The \u200cdebate surrounding\u2064 this\u200b program highlights the delicate balance between \u200dnational security and individual privacy.<\/p>\n<p>House Speaker Mike Johnson faced challenges\u200d in scheduling a vote on the military policy measure due \u200bto opposition within the GOP ranks. He had to use a procedure usually reserved for noncontroversial legislation, which eliminates the possibility of a few Republicans opposing the measure through a procedural vote but requires the support of at least two-thirds of the House to pass. While this procedural strategy may make the measure&#8217;s passage easier,\u200c it could also strain relationships with conservative members of the House.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, the defense policy bill represents a significant \u2062bipartisan effort to address military funding and policies. It includes provisions that enjoy widespread support, such\u200b as the pay increase for\u200c troops.\u2064 However, it also contains divisive elements that have led to \u200copposition and polarization. The bill&#8217;s journey through the House will likely involve further debate and negotiation as lawmakers seek to find a balance between different policy\u2063 goals and priorities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Wednesday, the Senate approved a defense policy bill, causing a typically bipartisan effort to become polarized. The bill grants the largest pay increase for troops in over 20 years but eliminates several policy goals demanded by conservatives. Advertisement<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1866,"featured_media":2126369,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[542],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2126368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oann"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2126368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1866"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2126368"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2126368\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2126369"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2126368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2126368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2126368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}