Small Business Funding

The House voted 281-140 to pass one of the biggest spending bills of the year: the military budget.The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members. It boosts U.S. investments in the Indo-Pacific to deter China and ups military exercises in Israel. But culture war issues included in the bill are stirring controversy among lawmakers.The bill bans some transgender care for children of military families and prohibits funding the military to teach critical race theory.House Republicans touted the bill’s passing as a win.”The safety and security of the American people is top priority,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, (R) Louisiana, said in remarks to reporters. “This year’s NDAA ensures our military has the resources and capabilities needed to remain the most powerful force on the planet.”The $895 billion bill moves onto the Senate, where Democratic leaders wanted more funding and less focus on social policies. The bill, as it currently stands, falls in line with Republican demands to cap defense spending to 1% – a deal President Joe Biden and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed on to raise the country’s borrowing limit.If Congress passes the NDAA, lawmakers will still need to find a way to fund it along with the rest of the government.There’s more to do as lawmakers haven’t agreed on how long of a temporary budget to approve before funding runs out next Friday, the last day the current session of Congress is scheduled to meet.Lawmakers are also negotiating an extension to the Farm Bill. Congress failed to approve a full-year budget or a new five-year Farm Bill in September and is opting for short-term extensions instead.