Seven frequent GOP critics of the annual defense bill opposed it: Reps. Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Eli Crane of Arizona, Harriet Hageman of Wyoming, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Chip Roy of Texas.
Most of the defense bill is subject to broad bipartisan agreement. The measure aims to speed up the Pentagon acquisition process to more quickly field new technology. It also would grant military personnel pay raises ranging from 5 to 7 percent. And it renews restrictions on significant troop withdrawals from Europe amid concerns from both Republicans and Democrats that Trump could swiftly pull troops out of NATO nations.
While the policy bill does not allocate any funding, the NDAA is often seen as a significant indicator of support for Pentagon spending. The bill makes a down payment on Trump’s historic $1.5 trillion military budget — endorsing the $1.15 trillion in base budget funding the White House has requested through the annual appropriations process.
The remaining $350 billion, which the bill does not address, would come through a separate party-line reconciliation bill.
The full $1.5 trillion request amounts to roughly a 50 percent hike in defense spending from the current year’s level. The eye-popping total is seen as a long shot on Capitol Hill. But defense hawks have argued Congress must secure as much money as possible for the military to modernize and to meet emerging threats.
“For the sake of guaranteeing our freedom well into the future, we need to act now to reverse decades of underinvestment and neglect in our armed forces and our defense industrial base,” said House Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.). “This bill will do that and much more.”
In addition to wrangling over the annual budget, Congress is grappling with a nearly $90 billion emergency White House supplemental request that includes $67 billion to cover the costs of the Iran war. Democrats have balked at approving more money for the war, and House Republicans are pushing to provide extra money through a partisan reconciliation package.
Despite their opposition, Democrats tallied some wins in the bill. Democrats won a provision to protect collective bargaining rights for civilian defense employees. The bill also would require the Pentagon to provide lawmakers an explanation within five days when senior military officers are dismissed, a move that comes after Hegseth has abruptly fired numerous top generals and admirals without explanation.
The bill also includes a Democratic-authored provision to change the names of nine Army bases that were once named for Confederate military officials. Those titles were changed under former President Joe Biden but restored by Trump last year, honoring different soldiers with similar names.
