The U.S. President Joe Biden signed the $886 billion defense bill into law, allocating $16 billion to deter China’s maritime claims. The bill also includes exemptions for Australia and the UK to buy American defense technology.
U.S. President Biden Signs Defense Bill
U.S. President Joe Biden recently signed an $886 billion defense bill that includes $16 billion to deter China’s expansive maritime claims and allows Australia and the United Kingdom to purchase American defense technology without licenses. The bill was passed by the Senate in a 87-13 vote and then by the House in a 310-118 vote after a compromise was reached, removing supplemental funding for Ukraine along with contentious abortion and transgender provisions. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called the compromise a demonstration of the bipartisan cooperation desired by the American people.
Maritime Deterrence
The bill includes $14.7 billion for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, exceeding the Pentagon’s requested amount of $9.1 billion, in an effort to enhance U.S. defenses in Hawaii and the Pacific territory of Guam. This substantial funding is expected to significantly improve the resilience and capability of U.S. and allied forces in the Indo-Pacific, especially in defense of Guam and data integration for U.S. forces.
AUKUS
Under the 2024 bill, the sale of nuclear-powered submarines to Australia and exemptions for Australian and British firms to buy U.S. defense technology without licenses were approved. These provisions, known as “Pillar 1” and “Pillar 2” of the AUKUS security pact, have stirred controversy among some members of Congress. Despite concerns, the provisions were passed with bipartisan support, conditional on Australia and the United Kingdom implementing “comparable” export restrictions. These measures are applauded by key members of Congress, U.S. allies, and defense officials as a means to check Chinese aggression in the region.