The US House of Representatives has approved a major defense spending bill, Reuters reported.
The legislation authorizes President Donald Trump's administration to spend a record $901 billion on military needs next year. This is $8 billion more than Trump requested.
The House of Representatives approved the bill yesterday by a vote of 312 to 112. The measure now goes to the Senate, which is also expected to support it next week.
The huge bill, the text of which extends to 3,086 pages, was introduced on Sunday. It includes measures to support service members, including a 4% pay increase and improved housing.
The bill also provides $400 million in military aid to Ukraine over each of the next two years and a boost to the U.S. commitment to defending Europe, reflecting the continued strong support of most U.S. lawmakers for Kiev in its fight against Russian invaders, Reuters notes.
In May, the U.S. president asked Congress for a national defense budget of $892.6 billion for the next fiscal year, unchanged from this one.