Lawmakers in the US Senate and the House of Representatives have agreed on a $700 billion military bill for the next year that hikes spending beyond what President Donald Trump had requested.
The National Defense Authorization Act 2018 negotiated Wednesday by the armed services committees in both chambers of Congress raises the base spending budget to $634.2 billion from Trump’s already record breaking $603 billion.
The proposed bill also sets aside $65.7 billion for overseas military operations, compared to $59 billion in 2016.
“We are tremendously proud of this NDAA, which will strengthen our military, provide our troops a pay raise, bolster missile defense, drive innovation in military technology to secure our global advantage, and build on the defense reforms Congress has passed in recent years,” Senator John McCain, chairman of the Armed Services Committee.