Trump Scores Big Win as House Passes $1.15 Trillion Defense Bill, Advances Iran War Cash

This shift marks a departure from the usual bipartisan support for the National Defense Authorization Act.

The US House of Representatives has passed a $1.15tn defence policy bill and advanced a separate measure to provide billions of dollars in additional funding linked to the war in Iran, despite unified opposition from most Democrats. The defence policy bill passed by 216 votes to 212 on Wednesday. Six Democrats voted in favour of the measure, while seven Republicans opposed it.

Lawmakers also approved a budget resolution by 216 votes to 214 that would pave the way for an additional $73bn in funding for the Pentagon and US intelligence agencies, with much of the money intended to help cover the costs of the Iran conflict. No Democrats supported the measure.

The votes marked a significant departure from the broad bipartisan backing that has traditionally ensured the passage of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), one of the few pieces of legislation that has consistently won support from both parties.

However, both measures face significant hurdles before becoming law.

Although Congress has passed the NDAA every year, the Senate’s version has stalled as Democrats argue it does not place sufficient limits on the Trump administration’s military operations in Iran. Without the 60 votes needed to advance legislation in the Senate, Republican leaders may bypass a standalone vote and instead negotiate a compromise version later this year.

The House and Senate must also reconcile differences between their respective bills before any final legislation can be sent to President Donald Trump.

House Republicans are seeking to use the budget reconciliation process, which allows legislation to pass the Senate with a simple majority, to approve much of the additional defence spending without Democratic support.

The broader budget framework also includes $12bn in aid for farmers and $10bn for election-related measures.

The proposal has, however, faced opposition from some Republicans.

Fiscal conservatives have criticised the lack of spending cuts to offset the new funding, while several Senate Republicans have questioned using reconciliation for defence spending instead of pursuing a bipartisan emergency funding package.

Democratic opposition has also intensified as the conflict with Iran has escalated.

Wednesday marked the 12th consecutive day of US air strikes following the collapse of a truce between Washington and Tehran that had temporarily paused the conflict during peace negotiations.

President Trump has also vowed to retaliate after several US service members were killed in Iranian attacks last week. The fighting resumed after negotiations broke down, with Iran again closing the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global energy supplies and food markets.

The conflict has also expanded beyond Iran, with the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen threatening to target Saudi oil tankers operating in the Red Sea.

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