The House passed a final, negotiated version of this year’s $768 billion national defense authorization (NDAA) bill, which was approved with overwhelming bipartisan support, reports National Public Radio.
Photo By: Johnny Saldivar, Air Force
Also included in the NDAA is a 2.7% boost in pay and a guaranteed 12 weeks of parental leave for all service members.
Left out of the bill, however, is a provision that would have expanded the draft to include women, reports NPR. Though there hasn’t been a draft since 1973, proponents of the provision felt it would have represented another step toward gender parity between female and male service members.
The bill now heads to the Senate, where it is expected to pass.