US House of Representatives passes $895 billion defence bill for 2025

According to TASS, the US House of Representatives has approved a $895.2 billion military spending bill for fiscal year 2025. The vote saw 217 congressmen in favour and 199 against, reflecting a clear party-line division in the lower house of Congress.

Within the Democratic Party, currently the minority, six lawmakers supported the bill, while three Republicans, who constitute the majority, opposed it. The approved budget marks a 1% increase ($9 billion) from the previous fiscal year's military spending.

Key allocations in the bill include $33 billion for nuclear programs, $164 billion for new weapons procurement, $144 billion for research and development, $295 billion for military equipment operation and maintenance, $236 billion for personnel salaries and medical care, and $18 billion for housing.

Notably, the legislation establishes a new Unmanned Aviation Corps within the US Army and allocates $350 million for drone defence system development. Additionally, the bill restricts access of Russian citizens to sensitive nuclear facilities, prohibits the purchase of Russian energy resources for US military bases, and mandates Pentagon planning for a future US Armed Forces structure capable of countering the Russian-Chinese military alliance.

According to American observers, the Senate is unlikely to pass the version of the military spending bill approved by the House of Representatives. The Senate, currently controlled by Democrats, is expected to draft its own version of the document. Subsequently, a reconciliation process will be undertaken to finalize the bill before it is presented to President Joe Biden for signature.