Congress Passes Major Defense Funding Bill, Awaiting Presidential Approval
The U.S. Congress has approved a significant $157 billion increase in defense funding, a move that aligns with President Donald Trump’s agenda and is now awaiting his signature. This legislation, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, encompasses a wide range of initiatives, including immigration reform and tax changes, and was passed by a narrow margin in the House with a 218-214 vote, mainly along party lines. The Senate had previously given its approval earlier in the week.
The bill’s passage marks the culmination of a week’s efforts by Congress to meet President Trump’s deadline of July 4 for its delivery to his desk. While the bill substantially boosts defense spending, it also entails significant cuts to social safety net programs, notably affecting food assistance that supports military families and veterans.
“The One Big, Beautiful Bill makes a historic and long overdue investment of $150 billion to achieve President Trump’s Peace Through Strength agenda and restore American deterrence,” stated House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., following the vote. “We can’t afford to wait any longer to begin rebuilding our military capacity, launching the future of American defense, and supercharging American manufacturing.”
With the expected approval of this bill, the Pentagon’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year is projected to approach $1 trillion. In its absence, the department had anticipated a budget of approximately $848 billion for fiscal 2026, mirroring the current year’s funding levels.
Some Republican defense hawks in Congress expressed dissatisfaction with the Pentagon’s reliance on the bill to supplement its budget, which they believed should have supported a standard $1 trillion defense allocation. Nevertheless, the House has adhered to the Pentagon’s plan during its regular appropriations process.
The Pentagon intends to utilize the funding from the Trump agenda bill to address gaps caused by reallocating existing funds for operations along the U.S.-Mexico border. The bill sets aside around $1 billion for border military operations, compared to the $5 billion in border funding the Pentagon is planning.
Within the One Big Beautiful Bill, $1 billion is allocated for barracks restoration, with the funds distributed among the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Space Force. Furthermore, the bill allocates approximately $350 million specifically for the Marine Corps‘ housing improvement initiative known as Barracks 2030.
Additional provisions include temporary authorization for expanded barracks privatization, a concept that has gained traction due to maintenance backlogs. The bill allocates $29 billion for shipbuilding, $25 billion for munitions, and $25 billion for the Golden Dome, a space-based missile shield proposal by Trump.
The bill also dedicates $9 billion to military quality-of-life improvements, encompassing $2 billion for military health care, $2.9 billion for Basic Allowance for Housing, $50 million for special pay and bonuses, $100 million for child care fee assistance, and $10 million for military spouse professional licensure fee assistance.
On the social safety net front, the legislation imposes substantial cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps. While the bill reduces federal funding, it requires states to compensate for the shortfall, raising concerns among state officials and anti-hunger advocates about the impact on state budgets and the program’s beneficiaries, including veterans and military families.
The bill also reinstates work requirements for veterans on SNAP, reversing a 2023 bipartisan decision that removed these requirements for veterans regardless of disability status. This reversal has sparked strong opposition from veterans’ groups.
“Cutting SNAP exemptions for veterans is an unacceptable betrayal,” Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America stated last week. The cuts “ignore the unique challenges veterans face, from service-connected disabilities to navigating the transition to civilian life. SNAP isn’t a handout; it’s a vital lifeline that keeps food on the table for those who serve.”
Despite these concerns, Republicans argue that the bill restores opportunities for veterans by rolling back what they describe as a “Biden-era carveout” that deprived veterans of the “dignity of work,” with continued exemptions for those with disabilities.
Republicans utilized the reconciliation process to pass the bill without Democratic support, but securing sufficient GOP backing proved challenging. In the Senate, Vice President JD Vance had to break a tie due to opposition from three Republican senators. In the House, some conservative members threatened to derail the bill over spending cuts, while moderates raised concerns about Medicaid cuts. Ultimately, the bill passed with only two Republican representatives voting against it.
