Senate Passes Bill That Includes A Pay Increase For Service Members

The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 87 to 13 sending it on its way to the House for another vote.

The Senate passed a defense policy bill on Wednesday.

The bill calls for a 5.2% boost in pay for U.S. troops which is the biggest increase in over 2 decades.

The legislation also authorizes $866 billion for national defense programs for the current fiscal year, which is around 3% more than the prior year.

In addition, the bill includes a short-term extension of a surveillance program aimed at preventing terrorism and capturing spies.

The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 87 to 13 sending it on its way to the House for another vote.