Congress unveils $900B defense bill targeting China with tech bans, investment crackdown, US troop pay raise
Bill includes 4% military pay raise and bans Chinese biotechnology from Pentagon supply chains
What's new:
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The new outbound-investment screening and tech bans are part of an aggressive shift — critics warn this could escalate a “technology decoupling” / economic cold war with China, harming global supply-chains, research collaboration, and commerce.
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Tightening sourcing and procurement rules may drive up costs and slow delivery of weapons or technologies when allies / contractors are deeply integrated globally.
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The heavy focus on China and Indo-Pacific, along with arms support to partners (e.g. Taiwan), could escalate tensions and provoke geopolitical backlash.
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While troop pay raise and industrial base investments are popular, the sheer size of the defense budget (near $900B) may draw criticism given domestic needs (economy, social spending, debt, etc.).
The legislation reauthorizes the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative at $400 million per year for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
The NDAA act also would repeal a pair of decades-old war authorizations and proposes an $8 billion boost in addition to White House's request
What does this imply? It means our system of the checks and balances is still working!!! Congress law makers' bill stymies Trump on Europe troop withdrasals!!!
