US House passes $643 bn defence bill; defies veto threat

WASHINGTON: Defying the White House veto threat, the Republican-majority US House of Representatives on Friday passed the defence authorization bill for 2013 that among other things calls for certain conditions for US aid to Pakistan.

The White House, in a statement this week, had said such conditions and certification would be counterproductive. The National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA) 2013, passed by the House - 299 votes to 120 - now heads for a showdown with the Democrat-majority Senate.

The bill calls for the construction of an East Coast missile defense system in the United States by the end of 2015 and has budgeted $100 million in this regard for next year.

NDAA authorizes $643 billion in spending for Department of Defense and overseas contingency operations, $8 billion above the spending caps in last year's Budget Control Act (BCA) and $3.7 billion higher than the request made by President Barack Obama.

"This bill mandates fiscal responsibility within the Department of Defence, through sound fiscal stewardship, careful prioritization of resources, and reforming the way the Pentagon interacts with the defense industrial base," House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard P 'Buck' McKeon said.

House Republican Policy Committee Chairman Tom Price said the bill reflects a conscious effort to maintain strong alliances with friends like Israel, and it ensures we do not underestimate the threats emanating from nation's like Iran and North Korea.