The huge spending law, which was approved in the House of Representatives after the Senate approved it on Wednesday, provides billions of dollars to “strengthen the American deterrence and defense posture in the Indo-Pacific region” and confront China’s growing influence there.
The budget extended the military aid program for Ukraine, allowing the gradual release of $300 million to Kiev.
But this aid remains far short of the $61 billion that the US and Ukrainian presidents separately requested from Congress by the end of this year, a massive package to arm Ukraine that is still under discussion.
The law governing electronic surveillance abroad of foreign individuals, which was widely criticized by organizations defending privacy, was also extended for several more months, and its validity was about to expire.
The surveillance program allows US security services to spy on non-American citizens abroad, even by entering their e-mails, without the need for a judicial order.
FBI Director Christopher Wray urged Congress This week he decided to extend the law, saying that allowing it to lapse would be tantamount to “unilateral disarmament.”
The new budget also granted military personnel a 5 percent increase in their salaries.
Later, the budget law, consisting of more than three thousand pages, will be sent to President Joe Biden’s desk in the White House for him to put his signature on it for final approval.
