House passes nearly $770 billion annual National Defense Authorization Act

• The House of Representatives passed the annual defense spending bill on Tuesday night.
• The massive legislation sets the agenda and the budget for the Department of Defense.

The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the annual defense spending bill, which clocked in at nearly $770 billion, in a 363-70 vote.

The National Defense Authorization Act sets the agenda and the budget for the US Department of Defense each fiscal year.

Following its Tuesday night passage in the House, the legislation will head to the Senate, where it will be voted on later this week, after which President Joe Biden will sign the bill into law.

Party leaders in both the House and the Senate have agreed upon the final iteration of the bill, which includes a pay raise for both military service members and civilian employees with the Department of Defense. The bill also includes $30 million in military aid to the Ukrainian Security Assistance Initiative, according to a summary of the legislation from the House and Senate Armed Services Committee.

One provision included in the final version of the bill institutes changes to how the armed forces addresses sexual assault and harassment. The bill will prohibit military commanders from prosecuting sex offenses, a longtime request by victims' advocates.