US House passes $1.15 trillion defence policy bill in victory for Trump amid partisan divide

WASHINGTON: The US House of Representatives on Wednesday narrowly passed a sweeping $1.15 trillion defence policy bill, largely along party lines, handing a political win to US President Donald Trump while deepening partisan divisions over his administration’s defence priorities and Iran policy, Politico reported.

According to Politico, the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was approved in a 216-212 vote, with only six Democrats supporting the legislation. Their votes helped Republicans overcome opposition from seven members of their own party.

The passage of the bill marked a victory for Trump and US House Speaker Mike Johnson, who managed to steer the legislation through despite divisions within the Republican ranks. However, the inclusion of several conservative provisions reduced the likelihood of broad bipartisan support, Politico reported.

The bill includes a series of Republican-backed measures, including a proposal to rename the US Department of Defense as the US Department of War, restrictions on coverage for gender-affirming care and provisions aimed at making it easier for service members to carry personal firearms on military bases.

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Republican leaders also added Trump’s election-related proposal, the SAVE America Act, to the defence bill following demands from hard-line members who had earlier blocked the legislation, Politico reported.

The traditionally bipartisan defence legislation faced opposition from Democrats, who raised concerns over Trump’s handling of the war against Iran, military operations abroad, deployment of National Guard troops to US cities and other administration policies.

A compromise version of the bill is unlikely before the midterm elections, as the House-passed legislation is expected to face challenges in the Senate, where Democrats have already stalled the chamber’s own version of the defence bill over concerns related to the Iran war.

Ahead of the vote, US House Armed Services Committee Democrat Adam Smith criticised the Trump administration’s defence policies, particularly those of War Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying they had weakened bipartisan support on national security issues.

“We are in an incredibly, incredibly dangerous time. I want to maintain the bipartisan nature of this bill,” Smith said, as quoted by Politico. “But if we’re going to do this, we’re going to need some Republicans to stand up to the president of the United States and say, ‘No’,” he added.

Democratic leadership had urged members to oppose the bill, citing disagreements over the defence budget, Iran policy and concerns that Democratic proposals were blocked from receiving votes, Politico reported.

The six Democrats who supported the legislation were Representatives Henry Cuellar of Texas, Don Davis of North Carolina, Jared Golden of Maine, Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Adam Gray of California and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington. Seven Republican lawmakers opposed the bill, including Josh Brecheen, Tim Burchett, Eli Crane, Harriet Hageman, Anna Paulina Luna, Thomas Massie and Chip Roy.

Despite the partisan divisions, several elements of the legislation received support from both parties. The bill seeks to accelerate Pentagon acquisition processes to help the military field new technologies more quickly, provides military personnel pay raises ranging from 5 to 7 per cent, and renews restrictions on major troop withdrawals from Europe amid concerns over potential changes to US commitments in NATO countries.

While the NDAA does not directly allocate funds, it is considered a key indicator of congressional support for defence spending. The legislation endorses $1.15 trillion in base defence funding requested by the Trump administration through the annual appropriations process.

The remaining portion of Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion defence budget, around $350 billion, would be addressed through a separate reconciliation bill, Politico reported.

US Congress is also considering a nearly $90 billion emergency supplemental request from the White House, including $67 billion related to costs associated with the Iran war. Democrats have opposed additional funding for the conflict, while House Republicans are seeking to provide funds through a partisan reconciliation package, Politico reported.

Democrats also secured several provisions in the final bill, including protections for collective bargaining rights of civilian defence employees and a requirement that the Pentagon provide lawmakers with explanations within five days when senior military officers are removed from their positions.

The legislation also includes a Democratic-backed provision to rename nine Army bases that had previously carried the names of Confederate military officials. (ANI)