The Senate has approved a defense policy bill that authorizes a $700 billion Pentagon budget.
The measure sailed through the chamber, 89-8, even though lawmakers have yet to agree on a plan for waiving restrictions imposed by a six-year-old law to control government spending.
The Senate bill would provide $640 billion for core Pentagon operations, such as buying weapons and paying troops, and another $60 billion for wartime missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and elsewhere.
The budget the Trump administration submitted to Congress sought $603 billion for basic functions and another $65 billion for overseas missions.
The Senate bill includes $8.5 billion to strengthen U.S. missile defense systems. There's also $10.6 billion for 94 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, which is two dozen more of the jet fighters than Trump requested.
