US Congress Passes Massive Defense Bill, Challenging Trump on Ukraine and Europe

Post by : Saif

The United States Congress has passed a sweeping new defense bill that sets military policy and spending for the coming year, showing rare unity between Republicans and Democrats while also challenging President Donald Trump on key global issues. The bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2026, now heads to the White House, where Trump has said he will sign it into law.

The bill authorizes a record $901 billion in military spending, making it one of the largest defense budgets in US history. It includes a 4% pay raise for service members, funding for new military equipment, and changes to how the Pentagon buys weapons. Supporters say these steps are needed to keep the US military strong and competitive, especially against rivals like China and Russia.

The Senate passed the bill by a strong bipartisan vote of 77 to 20. The House of Representatives approved it earlier by a wide margin as well. Lawmakers from both parties highlighted the fact that Congress has passed the NDAA every year for more than 60 years, calling it a symbol of stability in US defense planning.

One of the most notable parts of this year’s bill is its clear support for Ukraine and Europe, even though it goes against some positions taken by President Trump. The NDAA provides $800 million for Ukraine over the next two years through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. This money will be used to buy weapons from US companies for Ukraine’s military as it continues to face pressure from Russia.

The bill also strengthens US commitments to Europe. It includes $175 million for the Baltic Security Initiative to support Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. In addition, it limits the Pentagon’s ability to reduce US troop numbers in Europe below 76,000 and protects the long-standing US role as NATO’s top military commander in Europe. These steps signal Congress’s strong support for NATO and its concern about security on the continent.

At the same time, the NDAA includes measures that appeal to both political parties. It repeals tough US sanctions on Syria that were imposed under former leader Bashar al-Assad. It also repeals old authorizations for military force against Iraq from 1991 and 2002, an effort by Congress to reclaim its authority over decisions to send US troops into combat.

The bill comes as Trump has taken a tougher stance on Venezuela, including ordering a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers. Reflecting tensions over this issue, the NDAA includes a rule that could limit part of the defense secretary’s travel budget unless Congress receives full information about US military strikes targeting suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers.

Not all proposals made it into the final bill. Trump had supported changing the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War, but lawmakers did not approve that idea. However, the bill does include some socially conservative measures, such as barring transgender women from competing in women’s sports at US military academies.

While some lawmakers raised concerns about helicopter safety after a recent deadly crash, those issues were not added to this bill. Senate leaders have promised to address them in future legislation.

Overall, the passage of the NDAA shows that even in a divided political climate, Congress can still come together on national defense. It also makes clear that lawmakers are willing to assert their own views on foreign policy, especially on Ukraine, NATO, and Europe, even when those views differ from the president’s approach. The bill now sets the direction for US defense policy in the year ahead.

#trending #latest #USDefenseBill #NDAA #UkraineSupport #NATOSecurity #USCongress #GlobalSecurity