[Epoch Times December 08, 2021](Epoch Times reporter Wang Xiang’s comprehensive report) The US Congress announced on Tuesday (December 7) that the two parties finalized the framework of the National Defense Authorization Act, preparing to allocate US$770 billion in 2022 Military expenditures include $7.1 billion in funding for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative. The House of Representatives voted to pass this adjusted version of the huge annual defense budget that night.
The National Defense Authorization Act (The National Defense Authorization Act, also known as the National Defense Budget Act) was passed in the House of Representatives with 363 votes in favor and 70 votes against. The bill will be submitted to the Senate for consideration and a vote on the bill will be held later this week.
The National Defense Budget Act for fiscal year 2022 authorizes the provision of US$7680 billion in funding for US defense and national security, including US$740 billion for the Pentagon.
Regarding China, the bill also issued a statement that Congress supports Taiwan’s defense, requiring the federal government to formulate a grand strategy on the CCP issue, and authorizing Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to serve on the Congressional Military Committee to strengthen the relationship between the US National Guard and Taiwan. Provide an annual briefing on cooperation issues.
The bill also prohibits the U.S. Department of Defense from purchasing products produced by forced labor in Xinjiang, China. The United States has deemed China (the CCP)’s treatment of the Xinjiang Uyghur Muslim minority as genocide, and members of Congress have been pushing for a ban on the import of products produced by forced Uyghurs.
In addition, the Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (Nancy Pelosi) issued a statement on Tuesday that the House of Representatives will vote on the “Prevention of Forced Uyghur Labor Act” on Wednesday (8th).
The Act prohibits the import of all products from Xinjiang, unless companies provide clear and convincing evidence that there is no forced labor in their supply chain before they can be allowed to import.
Democratic leaders have been pressured by the party and Republicans on the human rights issue in Xinjiang. The Senate passed the bill in July, but the bill has not been advanced in the House of Representatives.
This year’s defense expenditure will increase by 5% over last year
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2022 is $25 billion more than the budget required by the Biden administration and 5% more than the bill in 2021.
The bill includes a 2.7% salary increase for troops, and the purchase of more aircraft and naval vessels to send signals to Russia and China, as well as strategies to respond to geopolitical threats.
The National Defense Authorization Act is considered to be a bill that must be passed by the U.S. Congress. Democrats currently control the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the White House at the same time; after the House of Representatives and the Senate pass the bill, President Biden signed it into law.
After the leaders of the Armed Services Committee of the US Senate and House of Representatives reached a consensus on the National Defense Authorization Act, they urged Congress to pass the case as soon as possible.
The leader of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Democratic Senator Jack Reed and Republican Senator Jim Inhofe, and the leader of the House Armed Services Committee, Democratic Rep. Adam Smith and Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in A statement read: “We are pleased to announce that we have reached a bipartisan and two-house consensus on this year’s National Defense Authorization Act. This year’s agreement continues the 61-year tradition of the Military Council: to jointly support our country’s Forces and strengthen our national security. We urge Congress to pass the National Defense Authorization Act as soon as possible, and we urge the President to sign this agreement.”
The bill also focuses on Russia
The 2022 bill was released shortly after US President Biden and Russian President Putin held a two-hour online video conference on Ukraine and other issues.
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2022 includes US$300 million for the Ukrainian Security Assistance Initiative, which provides support for the Ukrainian armed forces, including US$4 billion for the European Defense Initiative, and proposes to provide US$150 million for Baltic Security Cooperation.
The bill does not include a clause that forces Biden to impose sanctions on the $11 billion Beixi 2 pipeline, which transports Russian natural gas directly to Germany. Supporters of this measure believe that the pipeline will cause harm to European allies.
Editor in charge: Ye Ziwei#
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