Senate Set To Vote On Defense Spending This Week

NDAA could allow the Air Force to retire some of its older aircraft and require the government to take actions to address unidentified aerial phenomena.

Kimberly Johnson

Tuesday, December 14, 2021 at 01:57 PM ET

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Under the current version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the Air Force is allowed to retire 18 KC-135 Stratotankers. Credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Matthew Seefeldt

Key Takeaways:

The Senate is expected to vote on the $777.7 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022.
The bill includes a nearly 3 percent pay raise for military personnel and civilian defense workers, and an overhaul of the Uniform Code of Military Justice to combat sexual assault.
Key defense provisions mandate actions to address unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and allow the Air Force to retire some legacy aircraft, while specifically preventing the retirement of the A-10 Thunderbolt II.

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The Senate is expected to vote on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by the end of the week, potentially greenlighting:

A requirement that the secretary of defense and the director of National Intelligence take actions to address unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP)
The Air Force to retire some of its legacy aircraft
A nearly 3 percent pay raise for military personnel and civilian defense workers in the coming fiscal year

Lawmakers could be called to vote on the $777.7 billion national security spending package Wednesday, but the vote could be pushed to later in the week, according to a spokesperson for the Senate Armed Services Committee.