The US House of Representatives pushed through a record $1.15 trillion defense policy bill on Wednesday by the narrowest of margins, a 216-212 vote that laid bare the deepening political divisions surrounding both the ongoing war with Iran and President Donald Trump’s broader agenda.
The 2027 National Defense Authorization Act has historically enjoyed strong bipartisan backing, making this week’s razor-thin margin a notable departure from tradition. The bill still needs Senate approval before becoming law, and its current form allocates roughly $250 billion more than last year’s NDAA, including a pay raise for service members ranging between 5 and 7 percent.
House Speaker Mike Johnson framed the legislation as overdue recognition for military personnel while also advancing key defense priorities, pointing to funding for strengthened nuclear deterrence, missile defense capabilities, and construction of the Golden Dome missile shield, a system Trump has pushed to protect the US mainland, inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome technology.
Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee emphasized a more immediate justification for the spending increase, arguing the funds are necessary to rebuild military stockpiles that have been significantly depleted amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, where American forces have expended large quantities of munitions.
Not everyone in Congress saw the bill as a straightforward investment in national security. Democratic Representative Jerry Nadler was blunt in his opposition, saying he could not support handing Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth $1.15 trillion for what he characterized as out-of-control military spending paired with reckless decision-making. He went further, describing the NDAA as a costly and poorly conceived bill that funds an illegal war while simultaneously undermining democratic norms.
Much of that democratic concern stems from a separate and controversial addition to the bill. Trump’s SAVE America Act, legislation that would impose new nationwide voting restrictions, was folded into the NDAA through a procedural maneuver, a move that has infuriated Democrats and added significant uncertainty to the bill’s prospects in the Senate.
Adding to the friction, another section of the NDAA calling for expanded military cooperation between the United States and Israel has generated its own wave of controversy in recent weeks, further complicating what was once considered a routine piece of must-pass legislation.
