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Friday 27 July 2018
House backs defense bill with military pay raise, parade
By MATTHEW DALY, Associ- formation to nations hostile
ated Press to the U.S., namely Iran and
WASHINGTON (AP) — The North Korea, in violation of
House on Thursday ap- trade laws.
proved a $716 billion de- Trump warned in May that
fense policy bill that would the ban was causing heavy
give the military a 2.6 per- job losses in China and said
cent pay hike, the largest in he had discussed the mat-
nine years. ter with Chinese President
The compromise bill weak- Xi Jinping. The Commerce
ens a bid to clamp down Department reached a
on the Chinese telecom gi- deal with ZTE to lift the ban
ant ZTE and allows the pres- in June, allowing business
ident to waive sanctions with U.S. companies to re-
against countries that have sume.
bought Russian weapons The bill retains language
but now want to buy U.S. blocking U.S. government
military equipment. purchases and contracts
Defense Secretary Jim Mat- with ZTE, which supporters
tis sought the waiver, say- noted in touting the com-
ing it would help countries This March 27, 2008, file photo, shows the Pentagon in Washington. promise.
such as India that are seek- Associated Press "ZTE will continue to be
ing to "pull away from the punished, and the govern-
Russian orbit." ment procurement ban on
The waiver would not ben- ZTE and Huawei," another
efit Russia, Mattis said in a Chinese company, will stay
letter to Congress: "It will intact, said Sen. David Per-
only benefit the U.S. and due, R-Ga. "Overall, this is
countries willing to pursue win for the United States,
a security relationship with not for ZTE."
us," including Vietnam and House Armed Services
Indonesia. Committee Chairman Mac
The bill does not fund Presi- Thornberry, R-Texas, said the
dent Donald Trump's re- defense bill will strengthen
quest for a new "Space military readiness, provide
Force" as an independent troops a needed pay raise
military service branch, but and "drive further innova-
authorizes a military parade tion in emerging technolo-
Trump wants in Washington gies to secure our military
in November. advantage."
The bill was negotiated by The waiver language on
House and Senate law- Russia sanctions "provides
makers after competing flexibility for strategic part-
versions were approved in ners and allies" such as In-
each chamber. dia "to move away from
It was approved, 359-54, the use of Russian military
and now goes to the Sen- equipment to American
ate. equipment," Thornberry
White House press secre- said.
tary Sarah Huckabee Sand- But New Jersey Sen. Robert
ers applauded the bill's Menendez, the top Demo-
passage and urged swift crat on the Senate Foreign
passage in the Senate. Relations Committee, said
The bill "supports the presi- the waiver undermines U.S.
dent's request for a pay efforts to crack down on
raise for our troops and re- Russia in the wake of its in-
builds the military to deter terference in the 2016 elec-
adversaries and maintain tions.
the administration's posture "I'm concerned it may not
of peace through strength," only create a waiver but it
she said. may also waive Congress's
Lawmakers from both par- right to bring a vote on any
ties have expressed out- arms sale to those coun-
rage that the revised leg- tries," Menendez said.
islation guts a provision to The defense bill drops a
reinstate penalties against Republican proposal that
ZTE and restrict the Chi- would have barred the
nese company's ability to Fish and Wildlife Service
buy U.S. component parts. from using the Endangered
ZTE was almost forced out Species Act to protect two
of business after being ac- chicken-like birds in the
cused of selling sensitive in- Western half of the U.S. q
