National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021


The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 is an act which specifies the budget, expenditures and policies of the U.S. Department of Defense for fiscal year 2021. Analogous NDAAs have been passed in previous years. The House of Representatives passed the bill with a veto-proof 295–125 vote on July 21, 2020. The bill approved by the House, as amended, included a provision to require the executive to consult with the Congress before invoking the Insurrection Act, and blocked appropriations from being used for nuclear testing. It also included an amendment introduced by Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and passed by the House 336–71 which "would let soldiers use cannabis derivatives like CBD" and "would countermand the Department of Defense policy" if the bill becomes law.
The Senate bill passed 86-14 over Trump's veto threat, including a provision to rename military bases that honor Confederate officers. The bill included an amendment offered by Senator Jim Inhofe with a limited ban on the transfer of bayonets, grenades, weaponized tracked combat vehicles, and weaponized drones, as well as requiring law enforcement to be trained in de-escalation and citizens' constitutional rights. Senator Mitt Romney's amendment to restrict Trump’s ability to reduce U.S. military presence in Germany failed. Senator Jeff Merkley's amendment requiring federal law enforcement uniforms to identify an individual and their agency, limit their activities to federal property and the immediate surrounding area unless a governor or mayor requests more assistance and to publicly disclose the number of personnel deployed and what activities they are carrying out did not get a vote.
The $740.5 billion bill includes $636.4 billion for the Pentagon’s base budget, $25.9 billion for national security programs within the Department of Energy and $69 billion for the Overseas Contingency Operations account, a war fund that is not subject to budget caps. The Senate voted 23-77 against a proposal by Senator Bernie Sanders to reduce the budget by $74 billion.
The $740 billion does not include $10.6 billion Congress gave it in March 2020 to protect military personnel and force American industry to procure face masks, ventilators and other products hospitals need in their fight against the coronavirus provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. A Republican proposal would include another $11 billion in payments to Pentagon contractors under Section 3610 of the CARES Act.