House lawmakers passed the legislation in a vote of 219-210, mostly along party lines.
The legislation’s passage comes following consideration of hundreds of amendments, with the House approving measures on issues ranging from the Pentagon’s abortion reimbursement policy to US taxpayer support for Chinese research programs.
Although House Republicans praised the bill and its amendments as a legislative victory, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Friday that he will work with Senate colleagues to remove many of the measures from the final draft of the bill, which must be agreed to by both chambers of Congress.
The Senate Armed Services Committee completed the markup of its NDAA draft last month and filed its version for further consideration by the upper chamber this month. The Senate’s version of the NDAA also authorizes approximately $886 billion in defense-related spending.
US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said in a press conference following the bill's passage that he expects to go to conference to "find a way to unite" on the legislation with the Senate.
US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have expressed a desire to pass the legislation before Congress’s August recess.
Both chambers of Congress must agree to the same version of a bill before it can be brought to the president for final approval. Differences in bill versions between the House and Senate can be resolved through a series of back-and-forth proposals, or through a conference committee composed of members from both chambers and parties.
The final version of the NDAA must be able to garner the support of both the majority of the Republican-led House and the majority of the Democrat-led Senate.