The House narrowly approved a sweeping $1.15 trillion defense policy bill on Wednesday, advancing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) amid escalating U.S. military involvement in Iran and deepening partisan rifts over spending. The final tally was 216-212, with six Democrats crossing party lines to support the measure and seven Republicans breaking ranks to oppose it.
The defectors included Republican Reps. Josh Brecheen (Okla.), Tim Burchett (Tenn.), Eli Crane (Ariz.), Harriet Hageman (Wyo.), Anna Paulina Luna (Fla.), Thomas Massie (Ky.), and Chip Roy (Texas). On the Democratic side, Reps. Henry Cuellar (Texas), Don Davis (N.C.), Jared Golden (Maine), Vicente Gonzalez (Texas), Adam Gray (Calif.), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Wash.) voted in favor.
The NDAA authorizes a 5% to 7% pay raise for all service members, allocates $1.8 billion for barracks and family housing, and expands access to education and childcare for military families. It also greenlights $56 billion for aircraft development, including next-generation fighter jets, B-21 Raiders, P-8 maritime patrol planes, F-35s, and Chinook and Blackhawk helicopters. More than $60 billion is earmarked for naval construction, including a fourth Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine, two Virginia-class submarines, and two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
The bill codifies several Trump administration executive orders, notably the Golden Dome project—a top priority for President Trump. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) hailed the legislation as essential for maintaining American military dominance. “In an increasingly dangerous world, we are reminded of President Reagan’s admonition that freedom is not passed along in the bloodstream; it must be fought for and protected,” Johnson said. “This year’s NDAA meets the moment.”
In a controversial move, the House attached the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act—Trump’s voter ID bill—to the NDAA using a process known as MIRVing. This tactic bundles multiple measures into a single vehicle, forcing the Senate to accept the voter ID provisions or risk derailing the entire defense bill. The voter ID rider has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats, who argue it is unrelated to national security.
The NDAA typically enjoys broad bipartisan support, but this year’s version has faced unusual resistance due to the ongoing Iran conflict. Democrats blocked the Senate’s version of the bill last week, and nearly half of the House Armed Services Committee’s Democratic members voted against advancing it in committee last month. Their objections included Republican rejection of amendments to cut funding for Trump’s “Golden Fleet” Navy ships, ban cluster munitions transfers, and reduce the overall price tag.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), a vocal critic of the administration’s Iran policy, opposed the bill partly because it includes Section 219, which expands U.S.-Israel defense technology cooperation. Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) sought to strip that provision, but their amendment was blocked. The House did adopt two amendments from Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) that modified Section 219, removing a sunset clause and tying the executive agent’s role to ongoing oversight.
The rising U.S. death toll in Iran—18 service members killed since March—has further endangered the bill’s prospects. Public opposition to the military operations is growing, and progressive Democrats have slammed the NDAA as a giveaway to defense contractors at a time when working families are struggling. “The American people are being crushed under the weight of inflation, as Trump’s unconstitutional war raises gas prices,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.). “Time and again we are seeing from this administration, and their Republican yes-men in Congress, that they simply do not care that working people are struggling.”
The chamber adopted more than 300 amendments, including one from Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) that would cut the defense budget by 0.5% if any Pentagon component fails an audit, with the savings going to deficit reduction. However, lawmakers rejected an amendment from Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) that would have barred Pentagon funding for Ukraine security assistance, except for embassy security. The vast majority of Democrats voted against the final bill.
