The US Capitol building. [AP]
The US Capitol building. [AP]

The US House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2027 on Wednesday (local time).

The $1.15 trillion defense spending bill cleared the House floor by a vote of 216 to 212, according to Reuters and The Washington Post.

The vote broke largely along party lines. All but seven Republicans voted in favor, while all but six Democrats voted against.

Democrats have opposed the bill's massive defense outlays, arguing that the Trump administration and Republicans are slashing social welfare spending while pouring vast fiscal resources into the military. The party has also been critical of the prolonged war with Iran. The Pentagon earlier said the United States has spent $37.5 billion on the Iran conflict to date.

Republicans, by contrast, argue that a budget of this scale is necessary to sustain the Iran campaign, improve defense systems, procure military equipment and raise troop pay.

The NDAA is an annual bill that authorizes the Defense Department's spending and policies.

The House-passed NDAA includes a provision barring the use of funds to reduce USFK troop levels below 28,500. The restriction covers not only NDAA appropriations but also any funds allocated under other laws applicable to fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The current NDAA bars only NDAA-designated funds from being used for such a reduction; by broadening that restriction, the provision serves as a direct check on President Donald Trump's repeated suggestions that USFK troop levels could be cut.

The Senate is conducting its own separate NDAA process. Once each chamber passes its version, the two bills will be reconciled into a single measure, which must then clear both chambers again before being sent to the president for his signature.

The House also passed a separate $95 billion spending package on the same day, backed by Republicans and covering the Iran war and key Trump administration policy priorities, by a vote of 216 to 214. The package allocates $60 billion to the Defense Department, $13 billion to other national security items, $12 billion to farmer support and $10 billion in state subsidies for implementing voter ID laws.

The Trump administration has pressed for additional funding to replenish defense accounts drawn down by the Iran war before the fiscal year 2027 defense budget is finalized. The package is designed to serve as a bridge, filling the gap in defense funding until a regular budget is in place.

Democrats unanimously voted against the package, arguing the money should instead go toward reducing the cost of living for ordinary Americans.

US media outlets said it remains unclear whether the spending package will pass the Senate unchanged. Bloomberg reported that Republican senators are divided between defense hawks pushing for higher military spending and fiscal conservatives who want to cut outlays to reduce the deficit.


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