The United States House of Representatives has passed a record $901 billion authorisation for the Fiscal year 2026 annual military spending amid ongoing security competition with China and Russia.
The bill was passed after receiving 312 lawmakers voting in favour, with 122 opposing votes. It will now be sent to the Senate for consideration and is most likely expected to pass next week. The bill proposes to increase $8bn more than the Trump administration had requested earlier in May this year.
The sweeping 3,086-page-long bill, which was released on Sunday last week, comprises specific NDAA provisions on defence acquisitions, highlighting an ongoing security competition with rivals such as China and Russia. The bill proposes a further four-cent increase in spending in a bid to improve the livelihoods of the US armed forces.
Lawmakers have also agreed on the inclusion of several defence provisions, cementing Washington’s commitment to Europe’s overall defence in the face of ongoing possibilities of war with Russia. The US has also approved a record $800 million in aid for the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine, which would be released in two equal tranches over the next two years.
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Furthermore, another provision in the bill demands the Pentagon keep at least 76,000 troops and major equipment stationed in Europe unless NATO is consulted.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has also sliced funding of $1.6 bn to initiatives like diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as climate change. The United States has faced serious criticism over its withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015. The bill will now head to the Senate to pass the bill before lawmakers depart for a holiday break, after which President Trump will then sign it into law once it reaches the White House.
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