U.S. Sen. Angus King of Maine says the defense bill approved by the Senate Wednesday night and the U.S. House on Thursday will generate $3.6 billion in federal spending in Maine.
"And, of course, those expenditures turn into jobs, whether it's at Bath Iron Works, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Pratt and Whitney, and then literally dozens of smaller businesses across the state," he says.
King says while the total spending of $886 billion sounds like a lot of money, it actually represents a decline in the percentage of federal money spent on defense. And he says the deterrence created by this spending is less costly than having to fight a major war.
King told reporters the votes in both houses of Congress were strongly bipartisan — but partisan politics is threatening an additional military aid package for Ukraine, which King says must win approval.
"If we walk away from Ukraine, it will be a decision this country will regret for 50 years. It will be the greatest geopolitical mistake that we have made, essentially, I believe, in my lifetime," he says.
The bill now awaits President Joe Biden's signature.