What’s in the massive spending bill giving the military more funding than requested

Amna Nawaz:

Today, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected calls to publicly release the full video of a boat strike that the military carried out in early September.

That attack was the first of more than two dozen strikes on what the administration calls narco-terrorists, but it has become the most contentious. At the same time, the Senate is debating and is expected to pass its largest annual bill to authorize the Defense Department.

Nick Schifrin and Lisa Desjardins are here. They have been covering this all.

So, Nick, let's start with you. What did Secretary Hegseth say today?

Nick Schifrin:

Well, Amna, as you just said, Hegseth shot down the idea of releasing the second video from September the 2nd publicly.

Now, a reminder, this was the very first strike in what the administration called today a highly successful counterdrug mission. On September the 2nd, the U.S. military says it fired a single missile that killed nine people and a second strike some 30 seconds — 30 minutes later that killed two people who were not killed in the first strike.

Now, many Democrats — you see the first strike there. Many Democrats and former military lawyers have argued that the second strike killed shipwrecked sailors. That would make it illegal. But, today, Hegseth called the whole video classified.

Pete Hegseth, U.S. Defense Secretary:

In keeping with longstanding Department of War policy, Department of Defense policy, of course we're not going to release a top secret full, unedited video of that to the general public.

Nick Schifrin:

Some Democrats today argued that President Trump himself released the first part of this video and the administration could take the very same steps to release the second strike video.

Amna Nawaz:

And, Lisa, some in Congress are seeing this as a very important moment when it comes to the balance of power. Why?

Lisa Desjardins:

That's right.

Congress has the power to declare war. And this is a question of basic oversight by elected members of Congress over how we conduct war, how we conduct major military operations, which are fatal in this case.

Now, the administration is not showing this most contentious part of the video to every lawmaker in Congress. They're holding it back right now. And there are real questions about whether they should do that or not. There are questions because many members of Congress think there could be some human rights violations in those in that video.

Here's Democrat Tim Kaine today:

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA):

Is this what we want to be known for, giving a green light to overturning decades of human rights precedent, decades of laws of war precedent? That's what this administration is now pushing America to be known for.

Lisa Desjardins:

Again, this is about oversight. I spoke with sources of longtime sources in Congress who say senators do have clearance. Members of Congress do have clearance as being members of Congress. It's not an issue of the classification.

It's an issue of whether the Department of Defense chooses to show them this video, but they have that oversight.

Amna Nawaz:

So, Nick, let's turn now to that $900 billion defense authorization bill. Walk us through the highlights.

Nick Schifrin:

Yes, in any bill this big, there are many highlights, and so Lisa and I are going to try and go through just a few.

And let me begin with that boat strike. In fact, the NDAA, the authorization bill, cuts Hegseth travel budget by 25 percent until he provides the unedited video to the Senate and House Armed Services Committee, which he said he would do by tomorrow, also providing the committees the execute order for that strike.

Other provisions restrain some of the president's threat to reduce support to allies and partners, including what you see there, restricting the withdraws of troops from Europe or South Korea. The bill also authorizes U.S. money for weapons to Ukraine.

It really portrays Russia as an adversary, requiring reports on Russia's activities and limiting the administration's ability to recognize Russian sovereignty over any parts of occupied Ukraine. In addition, it repeals the authorizations of the use of military force related to Iraq in 1991 and 2002 and initiates the most ambitious reform in a generation for how the Pentagon procures weapons.

Amna Nawaz:

Lisa, what stands out to you in terms of what's in here that may not be usual defense policy?

Lisa Desjardins:

All this is why you have come to "PBS News Hour." You're not going to see this stuff anywhere else, but it is important.

Number one of two things, DEI. This bill codifies the Trump administration policy. And look, here's what's in page 728 of the bill. It would say that the Pentagon can no longer establish a diversity office or have any plans related to diversity, equity, or accessibility. That would be in law.

This not only puts that in law, but it is obviously a big cultural moment. Secretary Hegseth says this is about unity at the Pentagon, but Democrats and others, including some Republicans, say they worry that this undermines what has been a long history of inclusiveness and in fact, anti-racism at the Pentagon itself.

The second thing I want to raise that's not really related to the military, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, that is a tribe that has tried to get federal recognition for years. That is in this defense authorization bill.

Funny enough, that tribe is in an important county in a swing state, and President Trump promised them federal recognition. When this passes, they will get it.

Amna Nawaz:

So, Nick, Lisa's pointing out here this becomes a grab bag, this NDAA, every year. There's a significant step in here, though, when it comes to these administration's Syria policy. Tell us about that.

Nick Schifrin:

Yes, this is the repeal of the Caesar Act. That was a package of sanctions aimed at Bashar al-Assad for killing some half-a-million of his people during more than a dozen years of war.

But it has been one year since Ahmed al-Sharaa became the president of Syria, overthrowing Assad. And Syria recently overcame resistance on the Hill to repeal Caesar. And that is vital, because, after about 13 years of war, the World Bank says Syria needs $215 billion to rebuild and facilitate the return of millions of displaced.

Take a listen to Mouaz Moustafa, the executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force.

Mouaz Moustafa, Executive Director, Syrian Emergency Task Force:

The remainder of Caesar was shattering to Syria's future. Simple as that. And in order to give Syria a chance, Caesar had to be lifted. What that means is now Syria can rebuild.

How can we expect 14 million refugees in this place to come back from within Syria and from the borders and from Europe and from even the United States if they can't rebuild their homes? That's what Caesar allows.

Nick Schifrin:

The administration had provided temporary waivers, Amna, to Caesar, but only Congress could repeal. And now expect private investors, regional partners to send investments into Syria.

Amna Nawaz:

Meanwhile, Lisa, as you have been reporting, we'd expected passage of the bill by now, but it has been snagged, not by military concerns, but with something related to air safety. Tell us about that.

Lisa Desjardins:

Right.

This is what Nick and I think are getting at. This bill touches so many facets of American and world life. And this — we thought this bill would have passed by now, but it's snagged because of an air safety issue in Washington, D.C.

Folks may remember the crash January 29 of this year over the Potomac with a military helicopter in training and a commercial air flight. After that crash, where 67 people died, the military agreed to use specific technology so that those military training flights would geolocate.

This bill, Ted Cruz, a senator, and others are worried that this bill has a waiver, that training flights could have to — could waive out of that kind of technology. And that's why this is held up right now. That is in the bill. We're watching to see what happens with that provision.

So this bill will pass. It's a question of when.

Amna Nawaz:

It's a lot of money. It's a big bill.

Lisa Desjardins, Nick Schifrin breaking it all down, thank you both.

Lisa Desjardins:

You're welcome.

Nick Schifrin:

Thank you.