US President Joe Biden signs $858 billion defence authorization bill

US President Joe Biden on Friday signed the USD 858 billion annual defence authorization bill after Congress approved the legislation just before the year-end, The Hill reported. Biden in the statement noted that the act will provide benefits and enhance access to justice for defence personnel and their families.

"Today, I have signed into law H.R. 7776, the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (the Act). The Act authorizes fiscal year appropriations for the Department of Defense, for Department of Energy national security programs, and for the Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, and the Intelligence Community," Biden said in a statement.

According to the statement released by White House, Biden said the Act provides vital benefits and enhances access to justice for military personnel and their families, and includes critical authorities to support the country's national defence, foreign affairs, and homeland security.

Biden noted that there are "certain provisions of the Act" which raise concerns."

He stressed that the measures include a provision that continues to bar the use of funds appropriated to the Department of Defence to transfer Guantanamo Bay detainees to the custody or effective control of certain foreign countries.

It also has a provision to continue to ban the use of such funds to transfer certain Guantanamo Bay detainees into the United States. He stated that certain provisions of the Act raise constitutional concerns. He called on Congress to eliminate these restrictions at the earliest.

"In some circumstances, these provisions could make it difficult to comply with the final judgment of a court that has directed the release of a detainee on writ of habeas corpus, including by constraining the flexibility of the executive branch with respect to its engagement in delicate negotiations with foreign countries over the potential transfer of detainees. I urge the Congress to eliminate these restrictions as soon as possible, " Biden said.

As per The Hill report, the measure provides USD 45 billion for defence than called for in Biden's budget. The measures include allocating USD 817 billion to the Department of Defence and USD 30 billion to the Department of Energy.

Biden's authorization comes after the Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with a bipartisan majority, according to the news report. The bill has been named the "James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023" after retiring Senator James Inhofe.