Washington, DC, July 23 (ANI): The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday narrowly passed a sweeping $1.15 trillion defense policy bill, largely along party lines, handing President Donald Trump a political victory while deepening partisan divisions over his administration’s defense priorities and Iran policy, Politico reported.
According to Politico, the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was approved in a 216-212 vote, with only six Democrats supporting the legislation. Their votes helped Republicans overcome opposition from seven members of their own party.
Passage of the bill marked a victory for Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, who managed to steer the legislation through despite divisions within the Republican conference.
However, the inclusion of several conservative provisions reduced the likelihood of broad bipartisan support, Politico reported.
The bill includes a series of Republican-backed measures, including a proposal to rename the U.S. Department of Defense as the U.S. Department of War, restrictions on coverage for gender-affirming care, and provisions intended to make it easier for service members to carry personal firearms on military bases.
Republican leaders also added Trump’s election-related SAVE America Act to the defense bill following demands from hard-line members who had earlier blocked the legislation, Politico reported.
The traditionally bipartisan defense legislation faced opposition from Democrats, who raised concerns over Trump’s handling of the war with Iran, military operations abroad, the deployment of National Guard troops to U.S. cities, and other administration policies.
A compromise version of the bill is unlikely before the midterm elections, as the House-passed legislation is expected to face challenges in the Senate, where Democrats have already stalled the chamber’s own version over concerns related to the Iran conflict.
Ahead of the vote, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith criticized the Trump administration’s defense policies, particularly those of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying they had weakened bipartisan support on national security issues.
“We are in an incredibly, incredibly dangerous time. I want to maintain the bipartisan nature of this bill,” Smith said, according to Politico.
“But if we’re going to do this, we’re going to need some Republicans to stand up to the president of the United States and say, ‘No,'” he added.
Democratic leaders had urged members to oppose the bill, citing disagreements over the defense budget, Iran policy, and concerns that Democratic proposals were blocked from receiving votes, Politico reported.
The six Democrats who supported the legislation were Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Don Davis of North Carolina, Jared Golden of Maine, Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Adam Gray of California, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington.
Seven Republican lawmakers opposed the bill: Reps. Josh Brecheen, Tim Burchett, Eli Crane, Harriet Hageman, Anna Paulina Luna, Thomas Massie, and Chip Roy.
Despite the partisan divisions, several elements of the legislation received bipartisan support.
The bill seeks to accelerate Pentagon acquisition processes to help the military deploy new technologies more quickly, provides military personnel with pay raises ranging from 5% to 7%, and renews restrictions on major troop withdrawals from Europe amid concerns over potential changes to U.S. commitments to NATO allies.
While the NDAA does not directly appropriate funding, it is considered a key indicator of congressional support for defense spending. The legislation authorizes $1.15 trillion in base defense funding requested by the Trump administration through the annual appropriations process.
The remaining portion of Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget, approximately $350 billion, would be addressed through a separate reconciliation bill, Politico reported.
Congress is also considering a nearly $90 billion emergency supplemental request from the White House, including $67 billion related to costs associated with the Iran conflict. Democrats have opposed additional funding for the war, while House Republicans are seeking to provide the money through a partisan reconciliation package, Politico reported.
Democrats also secured several provisions in the final bill, including protections for the collective bargaining rights of civilian defense employees and a requirement that the Pentagon provide lawmakers with explanations within five days whenever senior military officers are removed from their positions.
The legislation also includes a Democratic-backed provision to rename nine Army bases that had previously borne the names of Confederate military officials. (ANI)
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