The House on Wednesday passed its $1.15 trillion defense policy bill and advanced a measure to help cover the rising costs of the Iran war — with Republicans steamrolling Democrats, who argued that Congress is failing to restrain the Trump administration’s expansive use of military force.
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The results represent a collapse of what is normally a large bipartisan coalition that advances the annual national security legislation, one of the last reliable areas of consensus in Congress.
The defense policy bill passed 216 to 212. Six Democrats supported the measure, and seven Republicans opposed it.
The budget resolution would help appropriate $73 billion in additional funding for the Pentagon and intelligence agencies, largely to cover the costs of the Iran war. It advanced by a vote of 216 to 214, with no Democrats in favor.
Both measures face a difficult path to becoming law, however.
Congress has never failed to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), but the Senate’s version of the defense policy bill has stalled as Democrats argue it does nothing to rein in the administration’s foray in Iran. Without a deal that can clear the chamber’s 60-vote threshold, Republican leadership may skip a separate vote in the Senate and begin negotiating a final version of the NDAA for passage later in the fall.
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The differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill must be resolved before the legislation can advance to the White House.
House Republicans have opted to use the reconciliation process, which allows them to advance a budget bill without support from Democrats, to help cover most of the costs of the Iran war. The framework for the package also authorizes $12 billion in aid for farmers and $10 billion for election-related measures.
But the effort has drawn backlash from Republicans in both chambers, making the path to passing the $95 billion framework increasingly difficult as it requires the support of nearly all GOP lawmakers.
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This is a developing story and will be updated.
