President Joe Biden is expected to sign the annual defense authorization bill into law later this month. The military is already at its lowest active-duty personnel level since 1940 and will dip even lower next year under plans to be approved by Congress. The compromise bill authorizes limited assistance for Ukraine, implements AUKUS and institutionalizes a nuclear weapon. Defense and veterans hearings on Capitol Hill for the week of Dec. 11, 2023. The Countering Extremist Activity Working Group was established in 2021 to address an increase in concerning behavior among troops. A provision in Congress' not-yet-final annual defense authorization bill calls for "an independent review, assessment, and analysis" of Force Design 2030. The annual defense authorization bill contains a 5.2% pay raise for troops and a host of other policy renewals needed for military operations. Defense and veterans hearings on Capitol Hill for the week of Dec. 4, 2023. A niche appropriations debate on multiyear munitions buys has ballooned into one of the numerous partisan standoffs over the defense spending bill. The House NDAA bars the Defense Department from implementing Biden's climate orders, but many of its activities that reduce emissions may continue anyway. Load More