The vote meant Congress has passed the NDAA every year since 1961. "This is the most important bill we do every year," said Senator James Inhofe, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, in a statement. This year's NDAA is named after Inhofe, who is retiring from the Senate. Because it is one of the few major bills that always pass, lawmakers use the NDAA as a vehicle for a range of initiatives.
The U.S. Senate passed legislation authorizing a record $858 billion in annual defense spending, $45 billion more than proposed by President Joe Biden and rescinding the military's COVID vaccine mandate.
Senators supported the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, an annual must-pass bill-setting policy for the Pentagon, by an overwhelming 83-11 bipartisan majority.
The no votes came from a mix of liberals who object to the ever-rising military budget and fiscal conservatives who want tighter controls on spending.