U.S. House Approves 2027 Defense Bill With USD 1.15 Trillion Budget

According to Lianhe Zaobao, the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, July 22, passed the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act by a 216-212 vote, authorizing a record USD 1.15 trillion in defense spending. The vote largely followed party lines, with seven Republicans voting against the bill and six Democrats voting for it. Congress has passed the annual defense measure for 65 consecutive years, but Senate Democrats blocked the chamber's version last week, objecting to the scale of defense funding while Republicans move to cut social spending and to the USD 37.5 billion cost of the war in Iran. The bill would support U.S. military operations in Iran, fund defense systems development and weapons procurement, and improve service members' pay and living conditions, including higher salaries, barracks construction and family housing. It would also expand U.S.-Israel cooperation in military technology. The House also passed a separate USD 95 billion budget measure by a 216-214 vote. Of that amount, USD 73 billion is for the war in Iran, USD 12 billion is for aid to U.S. farmers affected by Trump's tariff war, and the remaining USD 10 billion is for election-related programs. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the package would help Republicans secure election safety and strengthen domestic security, while Democratic Representative Rosa DeLauro said it would allow Trump to continue financing the war in Iran. The measures come as Republicans push their last major bill before November's midterm elections, which will determine whether the party keeps its congressional majority.