U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) on Friday praised the Senate’s passage of the $740.5 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2021.
Shelby, who chairs the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee and its subcommittee on military spending, was a key figure in the bill’s passage.
“The NDAA is a vital step in the process of funding America’s defense,” said Shelby in a statement. “By passing this bill — the 60th annual NDAA — the Senate is sending a strong message to our adversaries around the globe that we will remain the most powerful force in the world.”
The annual NDAA has long been a bipartisan oasis in an increasingly divided Congress. The act has overwhelmingly passed each year since 1967.
The FY 2021 version includes raising pay for American troops by 3% and significant investments in the equipment and weapons needed for the future of military combat.
President Donald Trump has threatened to veto the bill this year unless lawmakers include language repealing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which prevents technology platforms from being held legally liable for what their users post.
On Friday, without including the measure requested by the president, the Senate passed the bill 84-13, a count that eclipses the margin necessary to override a presidential veto. The House passed the bill earlier in the week with a similarly veto-proof majority.
Shelby, who has been a strong ally of President Trump’s agenda in Congress, did not mention the veto threats on Friday.
“Over the last four years, President Trump has worked to rebuild and modernize our Armed Forces,” he advised. “I am pleased we are on the path to continue that process and look forward to securing funding for the Department of Defense through our FY21 appropriations bills.”
Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.
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