Key Takeaways
- The House passed the defense budget bill by a narrow 221-209 vote, facing opposition from Democrats.
- The bill supports a 3.8% pay raise for servicemembers and allocates significant funding for advanced military programs.
- Contentious social issue provisions have raised concerns among some lawmakers about their impact on military recruitment and morale.
Legislative Progress and Budget Overview
The House has recently passed a defense budget bill with a slim margin of 221-209, with only five Democrats supporting it. This development shifts the national security budget discussions to the Senate, which has yet to announce its spending plans for the next fiscal year. Currently, the Defense Department operates under a modified continuing resolution along with some additional military funding, raising concerns about a potential repeat next year amid tight budgeting timelines. Lawmakers have about six weeks of session work remaining before a possible partial government shutdown if the appropriations bills are not finalized.
The House spending plan largely predates the recent fiscal 2026 budget requests released by Pentagon leaders. President Trump has referred to the outlined budget as a ” $1 trillion defense budget,” but this figure includes extra one-time funds approved in a separate reconciliation measure. Notably, the House’s base defense budget plan signifies a slight reduction compared to the current fiscal year’s military spending, prompting disappointment among some Democrats and Republicans.
Despite these criticisms, Rep. Ken Calvert, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s defense panel, commended the funding plan as essential for equipping military personnel. The bill includes a 3.8% pay increase for servicemembers, adhering to the federal formula for annual raises.
Substantial allocations in the bill include:
– $2.6 billion for hypersonics programs.
– $13 billion for missile defense.
– $8.5 billion for 69 F-35 fighter jets.
– $3.8 billion for B-21 procurement.
– $37 billion for Navy shipbuilding, which will cover a Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine and two Virginia-class submarines.
However, the budget proposes a reduction of around 45,000 positions in the Defense Department’s civilian workforce, aiming for savings of $3.6 billion. This move has faced severe criticism from Democratic lawmakers and other political figures.
Critics of the bill have also pointed to its controversial social provisions, which include:
– Prohibition of abortion services in military healthcare facilities.
– Restrictions on transgender medical care and surgeries.
– Removal of diversity and equity programs.
Rep. Betty McCollum, a Democratic member of the Appropriations Committee, highlighted that such provisions could negatively impact military recruitment and retention, stating, “These poison pill riders will not go unnoticed by our troops.”
The passage of this defense budget bill was prolonged by unrelated legislative disputes within the House. The Senate may experience similar challenges with broader debates on federal spending and potential program cuts, complicating the budget process further.
Moving forward, House lawmakers are expected to pivot to the annual defense authorization bill, which outlines defense policies and funding priorities for the upcoming year, although a comprehensive floor debate on this legislation may be postponed until after the chamber’s August recess.
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