House Passes NDAA - Focus Shifts To FY23 Omnibus

The US House of Representatives has passed its annual defence funding bill the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA)- committing a record USD$858b to the US defence budget. The bill will now head to the Senate.

• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told the press a short time ago that the defence budget is now contingent on Congress passing a FY23 budget omnibus: "I know they can come to a conclusion and a fair one... We need a big defense number to stay qualitatively and quantitatively ahead of the game."
• There is currently no agreement between Democrats and Republicans on a topline spending number for a FY23 budget. The White House Office of Management and Budget is preparing for a scenario where govt agencies are compelled to operate under a year-long continuing resolution, which the Pentagon warns will leave the US military underfunded to face costly strategic objectives in Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific next year.
• Pelosi said Republicans wanting to pass the NDAA but punt the FY23 budget to next year is, "totally inconsistent. It’s unsafe. It shows how they don’t invest in the American people."