Republicans pushed a massive defense bill through the House on Wednesday, overcoming congressional and popular opposition to President Trump's conduct of the Iran war to deliver him a major victory. On a 216-212 vote, lawmakers advanced a roughly $1.15 trillion defense policy bill that boosts troop pay by up to 7%, pours billions into new aircraft and submarines, funds barracks and family housing upgrades—and renames the Defense Department. Six Democrats backed the measure, the Hill reports, while seven Republicans broke ranks to oppose it.
The National Defense Authorization Act folds in various Trump priorities, including his "Golden Dome" project and protections for his "Golden Fleet" Navy program, and it expands US-Israel cooperation on weapons and intelligence—an item that drew bipartisan pushback from Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna, who failed to get that section stripped. House Republicans added a penalty for Pentagon audit failures but rejected efforts to cut Ukraine aid. Speaker Mike Johnson framed the bill as key to maintaining US military dominance. Before heading to the Senate, it will be paired with Trump's SAVE America Act voter ID measure, a maneuver that added GOP support but is likely to further inflame tensions over the package.
Passage also was a victory for Johnson, who picked up votes by leaning the measure to the right, Politico points out, which could make Democratic votes even tougher to pick up. In addition to officially enshrining the name "Department of War," the bill would bar coverage for gender-affirming care and make it easier for troops to carry personal firearms on military bases. House Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers defended the measure's cost by saying "decades of underinvestment and neglect in our armed forces" needs to be reversed. "This bill will do that and much more," he said.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
