The US Senate approves an amount of 895 billion dollars for defense. The budget covers the purchase of ships, planes, weapons and others.
The US Senate majority on Wednesday backed an $895 billion bill setting Pentagon policy, despite the inclusion of a controversial provision on transgender health care.
Before voting ended, 67 of the Senate's 100 members voted in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, and 13 against it, easily exceeding the simple majority needed for passage.
This year's NDAA authorizes record annual military spending of $895 billion, covering the purchase of ships, aircraft and weapons, and includes provisions aimed at boosting competitiveness against geopolitical rivals such as China and Russia.
The 1,800-page bill also focuses on improving the quality of life for U.S. service members.
It authorizes a pay increase of 14.5% for lower-ranking troops and 4.5% for the rest of the forces, more than usual, and provides billions of dollars for military housing, schools and daycares.
The bill prohibits the military health program, TRICARE, from covering some gender-affirming care for transgender children of service members if it could pose a risk of sterilization, a provision that caused some Democrats to vote against it in the House. Senate and in the House of Representatives, which approved the NDAA last week.