The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2025, which includes a significant 19.5% pay raise for junior enlisted troops and a 4.5% raise for all service members. The bill, totaling between $880 billion and $895.3 billion, features numerous conservative amendments targeting issues like abortion access, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) roles, and critical race theory, causing deep divisions with Democrats and raising a veto threat from the Biden administration. Republicans argue these measures are essential for military readiness, while Democrats criticize them as extremist and unrelated to national defense. The Senate will now review its version of the bill, which may lead to prolonged negotiations. The outcome is uncertain as similar provisions were stripped from last year’s final compromise budget measure.