Trump Signs $716 Billion Military Spending Bill

Bill limits US involvement in Yemen War

After Congress passed the bill earlier this month, President Trump on Monday signed the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a $716 billion measure he called the “most significant investment in our military and our war-fighters in modern history.”

The bill marks a major increase in military spending, though it did not give President Trump the new Space Force that he sought. The bill also included amendments which limit the arming of terrorists in Syria, and generally limit participation in the Saudi invasion of Yemen.

The NDAA also includes substantial language aimed at forcing the military into better reporting of aspects of their assorted to wars to Congress. This is seen as particularly important clarification, because past reporting requirements from the 2018 version were largely not complied with.

Media reports are largely ignoring this, however, and instead are centering on claims that the bill is “weak on China” because it doesn’t crack down as heavily on Chinese cellphone company ZTE as some lawmakers wanted.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.