The American Congress on Thursday finally passed a massive $886 billion budget for the United States' defense in 2024, expanding an international electronic surveillance system widely used by American intelligence agencies.
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This budget, increased by about 3% compared to 2023, approved in the House of Representatives on Wednesday after a vote in the Senate, specifically earmarks several billion dollars to “strengthen the position” of the United States in the Asia-Pacific region against China's influence counteract.
The document also expands a military aid program to Ukraine and allows for the gradual release of $300 million to Kiev. This amount is a far cry from the $61 billion that the American and Ukrainian presidents have requested from Congress by the end of the year, and this gigantic amount is still being debated.
The major defense bill passed Thursday also extends by several months a legislative regime for international electronic surveillance that has been heavily criticized by organizations working to defend privacy and freedoms and was set to expire soon.
This program allows U.S. security services to conduct electronic surveillance programs, including through email inspection, of non-U.S. citizens abroad without obtaining a systematic court order.
A senior White House official argued for the extension on Sunday, saying: “Given what's happening in Israel, what's happening in Ukraine, given the threat from China, given what's happening to our infrastructure, this is strategically important, with cyber attacks.” A very bad time for unilateral disarmament.”
The budget passed by Congress also increases defense personnel salaries by more than 5%.
Republican-planned measures that would have restricted the military's access to abortions and banned the Pentagon from flying the LGBT+ pride flag on its bases were not implemented.
The more than 3,000-page document must now be ratified by Joe Biden, a formality.