House Passes $900 Billion Defense Bill Embedding Trump Priorities

On December 10, 2025, the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 312-112, authorizing $900.6 billion in defense spending and sending the bill to the Senate. The legislation codifies more than a dozen Trump executive orders, including authorization for active-duty troops at the U.S.-Mexico border, funding for a "Golden Dome" missile-defense system, and a ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at the Pentagon. It also bars transgender women from women's athletics at military service academies and includes a 3.8 percent pay raise for service members.

Supporters described the bill as essential for national security and troop welfare. Critics noted a familiar pattern of ballooning defense budgets paired with reduced civilian oversight mechanisms, and highlighted how defense contractors and technology vendors aligned with the administration's donor networks stand to benefit.

The bill's passage reflects the extent to which the annual defense authorization has become a vehicle for codifying administration policy priorities well beyond core military funding questions.