- House passes National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 by 216-212.
- The approval sends the NDAA to negotiate a compromise with the Senate.
- The NDAA has been passed for 65 consecutive years, but this year it faces challenges.
WASHINGTON: The US House of Representatives on Wednesday narrowly passed its version of a massive defense policy bill, despite Democrats’ concerns about its huge cost, the Iran war and a provision that would boost the Pentagon’s ties to Israel.
The Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, which authorizes an unprecedented $1.15 trillion in spending for the military, passed the House 216-212.
The vote largely ran along party lines, with all but seven Republicans voting in favor of the measure and all but six Democrats voting against it.
Democrats objected to the huge amount of money authorized for the Pentagon, at a time when President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans are cutting 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 said the $1 trillion in spending is essential to support the military as it wages war in Iran, fund the development of defense systems and equipment purchases, and provide benefits to troops such as pay increases of up to 7% and the construction of barracks and family housing.
Another measure that worried Democrats was a provision that would substantially expand military technology cooperation between the United States and Israel, despite calls from many Americans – particularly on the left – to withdraw US support for Israel over concerns about the high cost to Palestinian civilians of its attacks in Gaza.
In 2026, ‘mandatory’ bill may not pass
Historically viewed by both parties as “mandatory legislation,” the NDAA is one of the few major bills that always passes through Congress, having become law for 65 consecutive years.
This year’s bill faces major challenges, given deep partisan divisions within Congress on issues ranging from the enormous size of the military budget to the Iran war, aid to Israel and Ukraine, and “culture war” causes such as the treatment of transgender troops.
The fate of the fiscal year 2027 NDAA was also complicated because Republicans voted to attach it to the “SAVE America Act,” legislation backed by Trump to tighten voting restrictions, before sending it to the Senate. The impact of that decision on the fate of the NDAA was unclear, given that there are not enough votes in the Senate to pass the voting bill.
Senate Democrats blocked the Senate version of the NDAA last week. House Republican leaders have vowed to try again to advance the bill before leaving Washington for their August recess.
It’s early in the NDAA process.
Each year, the House and Senate pass their own versions of the NDAA, before Armed Services Committee negotiators agree to a compromise version that is then put to a vote in each chamber.
If the compromise version is approved, it would be sent to the White House for Trump to sign into law or veto.
