The Senate passed its version of the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act with bipartisan support on Thursday night, but 11 senators voted against the legislation, including four Republicans.
The Senate version of the defense bill largely strayed from the House of Representatives's version by staying away from partisan topics, including culture war amendments that roiled the House.
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Here are the four Republicans who opposed the $886 billion defense bill:
Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN)
Braun called for more fiscal sanity in the government, including by introducing amendments to the bill that would request government audits.
“It’s the most important thing we do here in the federal government, but we don’t do any budgets over there. We don’t do any audits,” Braun said in a video posted to X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. “It’s all part of the problem of why we spend too much money and then borrow it from future generations.”
The senator did not give a reason for voting down the bill.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT)
Lee introduced an amendment to the bill that centered on legal protections for U.S. forces overseas by requiring the secretary of state and the secretary of defense to review the bilateral Status of Forces Agreements that the top 10 countries with the largest U.S. presence have with the country. The amendment was approved by the Senate on Thursday.
"We have an obligation to ensure our brave men and women in uniform are afforded basic legal protections," Lee said in a statement. "This amendment is our commitment to guaranteeing that their legal treatment is fair and just, consistent with the rights they would have under U.S. law. Congress should not allow anything less."
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)
Paul has been critical of the Biden administration's military aid to Ukraine while the country is at war with Russia. The senator introduced an act on Wednesday, seeking oversight on Ukraine.
“A little over a year ago, I proposed an amendment to the massive $40 billion Ukraine spending package that would have entrusted a proven and effective Inspector General to oversee and track how funds are spent in Ukraine. My amendment was rejected, and today, over $113 billion in taxpayer dollars has been sent to Ukraine without proper oversight,” Paul said in a statement Thursday. “My Ukraine Aid Oversight amendment would have extended SIGAR’s oversight authority to include aid to Ukraine and provide taxpayers with an accurate accounting of how their money is spent, as well as to detect and prevent waste and fraud."
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH)
Vance also rejected the NDAA bill on Thursday due to its promise to continue providing military support to Ukraine for years.
“I’ve worked in good faith throughout this process to secure as many wins for Ohio as possible, and I’m proud that many of those priorities have been included in the final version of the NDAA,” Vance said in a statement Friday.
“However, I cannot in good conscience support the broader package, which commits the United States to years of additional military aid for the war in Ukraine,” the senator said. “It’s disappointing to me that these significant priorities that would benefit Ohioans have been bogged down with such deeply problematic foreign policy proposals.”
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Six Democrats also opposed the legislation, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ).
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who caucuses with the Democratic Party, also opposed the bill.