Biden signed the $886 billion National Defense Authorization Act into law

President Joe Biden has signed into law a defense policy bill that sets a record $886 billion in military spending and includes measures such as aid to Ukraine and countering China in the Indo-Pacific region.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was passed by Congress last week. One of the few pieces of legislation passed by Congress each year, the document governs a wide variety of issues ranging from increased pay for military personnel and purchases of ships and aircraft to policy issues such as support for foreign partners like Taiwan.

The nearly 3,100-page law provides a 5.2 percent pay raise for military personnel and increases the overall national security budget by about 3 percent, to $886 billion. It also lists some Chinese battery companies that are barred from participating in Pentagon purchases.

The law includes a four-month extension of a controversial domestic surveillance provision, giving lawmakers more time to reform or preserve the program, known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

The provision drew objections in both the Senate and House, but not serious enough to derail passage of the legislation.

The law would extend one aid measure for Kiev, the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, through the end of 2026, appropriating $300 million for the program for the current fiscal year and the next.

However, that figure is small compared to the $61 billion Biden has requested from Congress to help Ukraine counter a Russian invasion.

Republicans have refused to approve aid to Kiev, linking it to Democrats’ agreement to significantly tighten immigration laws.

You may be interested: About 80% of Americans surveyed have a negative view of the state of the U.S. economy