Senate backs massive increase in military spending

The U.S. Senate passed its version of a $700 billion defense policy bill on Monday, backing President Donald Trump's desire for a bigger, stronger military but setting the stage for a battle over government spending levels later this year.

As voting continued, the vote in the Republican-controlled chamber was 79-8 for the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2018, or NDAA, which authorizes the level of defense spending and sets policies controlling how the money is spent.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)