House

House Passes Defense Bill, Despite Some GOP Opposition on Including Women in Draft

The House voted 316-113 in favor of the $768 billion defense measure after lawmakers spent hours debating hundreds of amendments

US flag and Pentagon logo
Photo by Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

The Democratic-controlled House approved a wide-ranging bipartisan defense policy bill Thursday despite strong opposition from a conservative wing of the Republican Party.

The House voted 316-113 in favor of the $768 billion defense measure after lawmakers spent hours debating hundreds of amendments. The bill, which guides Pentagon policy and would cover the fiscal year 2022, is about 5 percent more than the previous year’s bill.

It would provide automatic pay raises for U.S. troops, fund the branches of the armed forces and veterans health care and authorize other military programs, among other measures.

The bill, which is reauthorized annually, typically passes with broad bipartisan support. But a day before the bill’s passage, the House Freedom Caucus urged the Republican Party to oppose the measure because of an amendment that would allow the registration of women for the Selective Service System, which was approved with bipartisan support while the bill was in committee.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com here. 

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