The House overwhelmingly approved the compromise version of the Fiscal 2017 defense authorization bill on Friday with a vote of 375-34. The legislation authorizes $618.9 billion in the base budget and $59.5 billion for overseas contingency operations. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill next week before sending it to President Obama for signature. (For more about the NDAA, see our previous coverage: NDAA Includes Pay Raises, Higher End Strength; NDAA Will Let Congress Begin to Move on From Compass Call; and Lawmakers Preserve A-10, Call for Study on F-35.
The U.S. sent Air Force F-16s over central Syria in a show of force following the Dec. 13 killing of two U.S. Army Soldiers and one American civilian interpreter by a gunman linked to the Islamic State group.
