House passes $1.15 trillion defense bill amid deep Iran war divide

The National Defense Authorization Act passed 216 to 212, with only six Democrats voting yes and seven Republicans voting no. A separate budget resolution to fund $73 billion in additional Pentagon and intelligence spending, largely tied to the Iran war, advanced 216 to 214 with no Democratic support.

Representative Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said Republicans had turned a traditionally bipartisan bill into a divisive one. "Whatever else may be said about the NDAA, there are a lot of positive aspects to it; it will continue to support the Department of Defense the president is using to wage this war," Smith said. "And that makes it very difficult to support this."

The bill would increase the national defense budget by more than $227 billion over last year, the largest annual jump in modern history, and includes a troop pay raise of up to 7%, missile defense funding, and AI integration provisions. It would also rename the Department of Defense the Department of War. Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers said the bill reflects "the true cost of American deterrence" after decades of underinvestment.

The measure faces a difficult path forward. Senate Democrats blocked their chamber's version of the NDAA last week, and Republican leaders lack the votes to overcome that opposition. House Republicans also attached the bill to the Trump-backed SAVE America Act, a voting restrictions measure that lacks Senate support on its own, further complicating its trajectory.

The bill also includes a provision expanding US-Israel military technology cooperation. This measure drew objections from some Democrats amid broader concerns over the war's toll on Palestinian civilians in Gaza.