The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee on Monday voted 22-3 to advance the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025 to the full chamber for consideration, announced U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), ranking member of the committee.
“Passing the NDAA takes bipartisanship — that means you don’t win everything — and I’m grateful that my colleagues share a common agreement that getting this bill to the Senate floor and ultimately the president’s desk is our paramount responsibility,” Sen. Wicker said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate and House to find practical ways to strengthen this year’s defense bill.”
Committee approval is the first step in a months-long process to establish defense funding levels and set policies for the U.S. Defense Department and the U.S. Energy Department’s national security programs, according to information provided by Sen. Wicker’s staff.
S. 4638 now must be debated and voted on by the full U.S. Senate. A separate measure is making its way through the U.S. House of Representatives. Once both chambers pass their versions of the bill, they will reconcile a bill in a bicameral conference committee, and then work to get it approved by each chamber before a final version may be sent to the president to be signed into law.
“This bill shows there is bipartisan support for doing more to maintain deterrence and protect American interests. I am encouraged that many of my colleagues have joined me in the conversation about the need to invest more in our national defense,” said Sen. Wicker. “I look forward to discussing the peace through strength vision I have laid out in the months to come.
“This year’s NDAA results,” he added, “are a testament to the tradition of bipartisanship, vigorous debate, and good working order on which this committee prides itself.”
He noted that the committee’s passage of S. 4638 marks the 64th consecutive year that the Senate Armed Services Committee has advanced the defense policy bill.