US Congress passes defence bill

WASHINGTON:

US lawmakers on Wednesday passed a sweeping defence policy bill, signaling ironclad bipartisan support for Europe and delivering a blistering repudiation of President Donald Trump's increasingly hostile posture toward NATO and America's closest allies.

The comfortable 77-20 Senate vote sends the $900 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to the White House, closing out one of Congress's few remaining rituals of cross-party cooperation even as foreign policy divisions sharpen elsewhere in Washington.

"We ask a lot of the brave Americans serving in uniform. And they give a lot," Republican Senate Majority leader John Thune said ahead of the vote.

"And I'm proud that this year's National Defense Authorization Act will help ensure that they have what they need to keep America safe in a dangerous world."

The action in the upper chamber follows House passage last week and comes amid unease in European capitals over Trump's rhetoric, especially after the recent White House national security strategy painted Europe as over-regulated, culturally adrift and insufficiently committed to its own defense.

The strategy questioned the continent's strategic value and openly echoed themes championed by far-right parties, fueling fears of a widening transatlantic rift.