US Senate Approves 2024 Fiscal Year Defense Budget

The US Senate has passed a defense budget proposal worth $886 billion for the 2024 fiscal year, in accordance with President Joe Biden's budget request, media reports say.

The budget received support from 86 senators, while 11 voted against it. This bipartisan agreement from both Democrats and Republicans contrasts sharply with the earlier process in the House of Representatives, where discussions were marred by inter-party clashes over social issues, according to notes from the Associated Press (AP).

“The strong bipartisan vote on the bill in the Senate could serve as a catalyst for the approval of the final version of the document,” the agency noted, although the US Congress chambers still need to reconcile it before sending it for presidential approval.

The agreement “may serve as a test of the deep divisions in the House of Representatives, as traditionally, a bipartisan bill is accompanied by controversies surrounding race, equity, and women’s health, which are political priorities for the Republican Party,” AP adds.

The Hill, commenting on the Senate’s budget version, highlights that it includes a 5.2% pay raise for military personnel, as well as “$9.1 billion allocated for various measures aimed at enhancing competitiveness with China, and $300 billion for Ukraine.”

The newspaper notes that “while the process has gone smoothly this time, the real drama will unfold in the coming months as both chambers seek to reach an agreement on the two proposals and finalize the overall budget proposal.”