The House passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act Friday by a 217-199 vote, mostly along party lines. Many Democrats oppose conservative policy riders added to the bill.

The bill authorizes $884 billion in defense spending, which is in line with last year’s bipartisan budget deal capping spending increases at 1%.

The Hill wrote about what’s in the House-passed bill.

House-Senate Differences

The Senate Armed Services Committee released a summary of its draft bill Friday, which would authorize up to $923 billion, a 5% increase over the current year’s spending, as Military Times noted.

Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.) voted against his committee’s bill “because it includes a funding increase that cannot be appropriated without breaking lawful spending caps and causing unintended harm to our military,” he said in a committee press release. “I appreciate the need for greater defense spending to ensure our national security, but I cannot support this approach.”

But the committee passed the bill with a vote of 22 to 3, according to a press release.

Another difference between the two bills is the proposed pay raise. Both versions include a 4.5% increase for military personnel. The House-passed bill includes an additional 15% raise for junior enlisted service members. The Senate Armed Services Committee’s version includes only an additional 1% for the junior enlisted raise.

Military Times reported more on what’s in the two bills.

Army photo by Spc. Vincent Levelev