The U.S. House of Representatives has passed its version of the 2018 defense bill, amounting to 696 billion dollars. 

The National Defense Authorization Act was approved on Friday by a vote of 344 to 81. 

The defense budget is an increase of 12-point-four percent from the fiscal 2017 defense budget of 619 billion dollars. 

The 2018 defense budget increases spending on missile defense by 25 percent to respond to ballistic missile threats from North Korea and Iran, among others. 

The Senate will vote on its version of the National Defense Authorization Act later this year. The House and Senate versions must be reconciled before the measure can be sent to President Donald Trump to sign into law or veto.

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