- House passes National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 by 216-212.
- Passage sends the NDAA for compromise negotiations with the Senate.
- The NDAA has been in existence for 65 consecutive years, but it faces challenges this year.
WASHINGTON: The US House of Representatives narrowly passed its version of a massive defense policy bill on Wednesday, despite Democrats’ concerns about its huge price tag, the war in Iran and a provision that would strengthen the Pentagon’s ties with Israel.
The National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, for Fiscal Year 2027, which authorizes an unprecedented $1.15 trillion in military spending, passed the House by a vote of 216-212.
The vote fell largely along party lines, as all but seven Republicans voted in favor of the measure and all but six Democrats voted against it.
Democrats opposed the huge amount of money authorized for the Pentagon, at a time when President Donald Trump and his Republican colleagues are slashing spending on social programs.
They also oppose the ongoing and deeply unpopular war with Iran, which the Pentagon says has cost the United States $37.5 billion so far.
Republicans have said the trillion-dollar spending is key to supporting the military as it wages war in Iran, funding the development of defense systems and equipment purchases and providing troop benefits such as pay raises of up to 7 percent and the construction of barracks and family housing.
Another measure that worried Democrats was a provision that would significantly expand military technological cooperation between the United States and Israel, despite calls from many Americans — particularly on the left — to reduce U.S. support for Israel, concerned about the heavy toll on Palestinian civilians caused by its attacks in Gaza.
In 2026, the “must-have” bill may not be adopted
Historically considered by both parties as “must-pass legislation,” the NDAA is one of the few major bills still making it through Congress, having been passed for 65 consecutive years.
This year’s bill faces major challenges, given deep partisan divisions within Congress on issues ranging from the massive size of the military budget to the war in Iran, aid to Israel and Ukraine, and “culture war” causes such as the treatment of transgender troops.
The NDAA’s fate for fiscal 2027 was also complicated as Republicans voted to attach it to the “SAVE America Act,” Trump-backed legislation aimed at tightening restrictions on voting, before sending it to the Senate. The impact of this decision on the fate of the NDAA is unclear, given that there are not enough votes in the Senate to pass the election law.
Senate Democrats blocked the Senate version of the NDAA last week. House Republican leaders have pledged to try again to advance the bill before leaving Washington for the August recess.
We are early in the NDAA process.
Each year, the House and Senate pass their own version of the NDAA, before Armed Services Committee negotiators agree on a compromise version that is then put to a vote in each chamber.
If the compromise version passes, it will be sent to the White House for Trump to sign or veto.
