Last night the Senate passed the fiscal year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by a vote of 84 to 15. The bill passed the House by a vote of 350 to 69 last week. The NDAA sets spending priorities for the U.S. military and specifies various rules and reporting requirements. President Barack Obama is expected to sign it.
Due to the limited time available, the Senate voted on a version of the bill that had been agreed between the House and Senate, and did not have the opportunity to offer additional amendments.
NDAA supporters expressed relief at the outcome of the last minute vote. Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement that the bill “supports the well-being of our men and women in uniform and their families and strengthens congressional oversight of the president” and the Department of Defense. He maintained, however, that the bill “should have been considered earlier and under regular order in the Senate.”