On Friday, July 18, the House of Representatives passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026, allocating $832 billion in a 221-209 vote.
The bill secured bipartisan support, with five Democrats—Reps. Don Davis (D-NC), Jared Golden (D-Maine), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Adam Gray (D-Calif.), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.)—joining nearly all Republicans.
Three Republicans—Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.)—opposed the measure.
The legislation provides a 3.8% pay increase for active, National Guard, and reserve military personnel, allocates $148 billion for research, development, and testing, and designates $1.15 billion for counter-drug and anti-trafficking programs.
It also trims the operation and maintenance budget by $7 billion to $283 billion, reflecting efforts to balance military modernization with fiscal restraint in the face of a projected $1.9 trillion federal deficit for 2025, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
Balancing Defense Priorities with Fiscal Responsibility
The House bill’s passage followed a failed attempt by Reps. Greene, Massie, Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Summer Lee (D-Pa.) to cut $500 million from a cooperative program enhancing Israel’s missile defense systems, which was rejected in a 422-6 vote.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) praised the bill, stating, “The legislation supports modernization and fundamentally reforms defense acquisition by cutting red tape, eliminating bureaucratic hurdles, and encouraging innovation.”
The measure complements the $150 billion defense plan within President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed on July 4, 2025, which included $25 billion for a “Golden Dome” missile defense system.
Together, these initiatives push total defense spending for 2026 beyond $1 trillion, raising concerns about exacerbating the federal deficit, which the CBO projects will grow to $2.1 trillion by 2027 if current spending trends continue.
Critics argue that while defense investments are critical, the administration must address the deficit’s long-term impact on economic stability, potentially through offsetting cuts or revenue measures.
Senate’s Efforts and Economic Implications
The Senate Armed Services Committee advanced its own defense spending bill on July 9, with provisions to prevent taxpayer dollars from funding research by adversaries like Russia and China, aligning with national security goals.
The House bill’s focus on troop pay raises, research investment, and counter-trafficking programs reflects a commitment to strengthening military capabilities amid global threats.
However, the CBO notes that the federal deficit, driven by Social Security, Medicare, and interest payments, strains resources, with net interest costs alone projected at $892 billion in 2025.
The $832 billion defense allocation, while vital for national security, adds pressure to an already burdened budget, prompting calls for fiscal reforms to curb deficit growth, such as streamlining federal programs or enhancing economic growth through tax policy adjustments.
As both chambers refine their defense budgets, the bipartisan House vote signals a shared priority to bolster security, but ongoing debates over specific provisions, like the Israel missile defense funding, highlight the challenge of balancing robust defense with fiscal discipline.
