Massive US Military Budget Gets Support From 9 New Jersey Lawmakers

NEW JERSEY — The largest military budget in the world is on the brink of expanding – yet again.

On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 310-118 to pass a compromise version of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This year’s spending plan approves a whopping $886 billion for national defense – about 3 percent more than last year.

The final version of the NDAA got “yes” votes from eight of 12 House members in New Jersey: Donald Norcross, Andy Kim, Josh Gottheimer, Tom Kean Jr., Robert Menendez Jr., Frank Pallone, Bill Pascrell Jr. and Mikie Sherrill.

The NDAA got “no” votes from Donald Payne Jr., Chris Smith, Jeff Van Drew and Bonnie Watson Coleman.

The Senate passed its own version of the bill by a vote of 87-13 on Wednesday, getting a “yes” vote from Sen. Robert Menendez and a “no” vote from Sen. Cory Booker – the same as last year. It now heads to the desk of President Joe Biden.

Federal lawmakers hammer out a new version of the NDAA every year, which lays out defense priorities and provides guidance on how military funding can be spent. It typically sees several changes and amendments before a final version is agreed upon by the Senate and House of Representatives. Separate appropriations bills with matching dollar figures must also be passed for the increases to become a reality.

Congress has greenlighted the bill every year for more than six consecutive decades, and it typically sees support from all but a handful of dissenters in New Jersey.

Since it is considered a “must-pass” bill, the NDAA has become a popular venue to attach riders and amendments, not all of which are directly related to national defense.

This year’s bill previously contained a ban on the Defense Department’s abortion policy and a prohibition on Pentagon funding for gender-affirming care – which some conservative lawmakers said were meant to counteract “woke” policies in the U.S. military. However, it does contain stipulations that would prohibit funding for the teaching or training of “critical race theory” in the military, and specifies that no funds may be spent on drag shows, Drag Queen Story Hours or similar events.

The bill would boost troop pay by 5.2 percent, which is the largest raise for service members in more than two decades. The bill will also include a short-term extension of a controversial law that allows warrantless surveillance of foreign nationals.

The package would authorize $14.7 billion to deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region, and approves $300 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative in both 2024 and 2025.

There have been both cheers and jeers for the current levels of military spending from New Jersey lawmakers.

Some say the NDAA strengthens national security, supports servicemembers and creates jobs. But critics question whether the nation’s rising military budget is a good use of taxpayer money at a time when every penny counts.

Rep. Sherrill, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, was among those who cheered Thursday’s vote, calling it a “bipartisan compromise” – although some House Republicans tried to “poison” it with an extremist social agenda.

Sherrill pointed out that the NDAA contains funds for Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County, which is northern New Jersey’s largest employer.

“I am glad we were able to pass a serious piece of legislation that fulfills our sacred commitment to our armed services and the men and women who sign up to defend our nation,” the former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot said.

But other federal lawmakers from New Jersey have said the nation’s military spending is getting out of hand.

Rep. Watson Coleman said she voted no on this year’s bill because it represents “yet another year of wasteful, irresponsible, unaccountable Defense spending.”

“$886 billion dollars could go a long way toward improving the lives of everyday working people,” the congresswoman wrote. “The people's basic needs must come first.”

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