The US Senate voted in favor of the Department of Defense budget bill, which includes provisions related to sanctions imposed on Syria under the so-called 'Caesar Law'. The US House of Representatives had previously passed the National Defense Authorization Act, which included the repeal of 'Caesar' sanctions imposed on Damascus. It is expected that US President Donald Trump will approve the bill, which means the final repeal of the 'Caesar Law' and the lifting of sanctions imposed on Syria under it. According to the bill, the Department of Defense's budget is $901 billion, and it requires US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to provide videos of airstrikes conducted by American aircraft against ships that the US administration claims are smuggling drugs to the United States via the Caribbean Sea. The defense budget bill, known as the annual National Defense Authorization Act, which increases military pay by 3.8%, received bipartisan support during its passage in Congress, and the White House says it aligns with President Donald Trump's national security priorities. However, the 3,000-plus-page legislation revealed some points of disagreement between Congress and the Department of Defense as the Trump administration shifts its focus from security in Europe to Central and South America.
