Outcry after $1.15tn defense bill passes in the House – US politics live

July 2026 · 6 minute read

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Outcry over the $1.15tn defense policy bill passed in the House

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of US politics.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) typically passes in Congress each year with bipartisan margins. But the $1.15tn defense policy bill passed in a near-party-line vote in the House of Representatives on Wednesday has lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in an uproar.

That’s because the NDAA’s path to enactment this year has been complicated by the president’s decision to join Israel in attacking Iran without first seeking authorization from Congress – a war that has already cost $37.5bn, according to defense secretary Pete Hegseth. Last week, Senate Democrats blocked the advancement of that chamber’s version of the NDAA in protest of the war.

“While millions of Americans are struggling to afford basic necessities, Congress is choosing to authorize over $1tn for the Pentagon, once again funneling billions of taxpayer dollars to defense contractors instead of investing in the needs of working people,” Ilhan Omar, a Democratic representative from Minnesota, posted on X.

She continued: “The American people are sick and tired of funding atrocities abroad and want this war with Iran to end. Yet year after year, the Pentagon fails its audit with virtually no accountability, while Congress continues to increase military spending.”

Further complicating matters, Mike Johnson, the Republican House speaker, acceded to the demands of rightwing lawmakers and inserted into the legislation the Save America Act, a Trump-backed proposal to ban mail-in ballots and impose new identification restrictions on voters at the polls and when they register. “This budget resolution is our best shot at enacting as much of the Save America Act into law as possible,” Johnson -posted on X.

“This means the NDAA is now tied to Trump’s attempt to steal elections by making it more difficult for millions of Americans to vote,” Jerry Nadler, a Democratic representative from New York, posted on X. “The NDAA is a costly, bad bill that funds an illegal war and undermines our democracy.”

Section 219 of the NDAA – which establishes the US-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative – also had Republican representatives protesting the bill’s passage. “Section 219 is a betrayal of our sovereignty,” Kentucky conservative Thomas Massie said on X. Far-right firebrand Lauren Boebert also said she sat out on the NDAA vote because of Section 219.

More to come.

Key events

Donald Trump says nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia is 'totally subject' to country joining the Abraham accords

Donald Trump has posted on Truth Social that the landmark nuclear deal the US signed with Saudi Arabia yesterday is “totally subject” to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham accords.

The president wrote: “The Civil Nuclear Deal (There will be no enrichment of material!) being made between the United States Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia, which pertains only to non-military use such as the ones that Iran and UAE (and others) already have, will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords. The United States is not opposed to Civil (Non-Enriched) Nuclear Facilities.”

In addition to passing the National Defense Authorization Act – a key plank of the president’s plan to spend $1.5tn on the military in the 2027 fiscal year – House Republicans on Wednesday agreed to begin the process of writing a $95bn bill to fund the war with Iran.

The passage of this budget resolution paves the way for the creation of a reconciliation bill, which can advance through the Senate under special rules that circumvent the Democratic filibuster and requires only a simple majority to pass.

Like the NDAA, the budget resolution will also likely be used by the House administration committee to pass the Save America Act into law, which will ban mail-in ballots nationwide and impose enhanced strict identification requirements on voters when they cast ballots and register.

The Guardian’s Chris Stein has more here:

The House passed the National Defense Authorization Act in a 216-212 vote, with all but six Democrats opposing its passage and seven Republicans breaking ranks to oppose the measure.

These are the Democrats that voted for NDAA:

These are the Republicans that voted against it:

The bill now goes to the Senate.

Outcry over the $1.15tn defense policy bill passed in the House

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of US politics.

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) typically passes in Congress each year with bipartisan margins. But the $1.15tn defense policy bill passed in a near-party-line vote in the House of Representatives on Wednesday has lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in an uproar.

That’s because the NDAA’s path to enactment this year has been complicated by the president’s decision to join Israel in attacking Iran without first seeking authorization from Congress – a war that has already cost $37.5bn, according to defense secretary Pete Hegseth. Last week, Senate Democrats blocked the advancement of that chamber’s version of the NDAA in protest of the war.

“While millions of Americans are struggling to afford basic necessities, Congress is choosing to authorize over $1tn for the Pentagon, once again funneling billions of taxpayer dollars to defense contractors instead of investing in the needs of working people,” Ilhan Omar, a Democratic representative from Minnesota, posted on X.

She continued: “The American people are sick and tired of funding atrocities abroad and want this war with Iran to end. Yet year after year, the Pentagon fails its audit with virtually no accountability, while Congress continues to increase military spending.”

Further complicating matters, Mike Johnson, the Republican House speaker, acceded to the demands of rightwing lawmakers and inserted into the legislation the Save America Act, a Trump-backed proposal to ban mail-in ballots and impose new identification restrictions on voters at the polls and when they register. “This budget resolution is our best shot at enacting as much of the Save America Act into law as possible,” Johnson -posted on X.

“This means the NDAA is now tied to Trump’s attempt to steal elections by making it more difficult for millions of Americans to vote,” Jerry Nadler, a Democratic representative from New York, posted on X. “The NDAA is a costly, bad bill that funds an illegal war and undermines our democracy.”

Section 219 of the NDAA – which establishes the US-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative – also had Republican representatives protesting the bill’s passage. “Section 219 is a betrayal of our sovereignty,” Kentucky conservative Thomas Massie said on X. Far-right firebrand Lauren Boebert also said she sat out on the NDAA vote because of Section 219.

More to come.