The United States House of Representatives approved a $1.15 trillion annual defence authorisation bill early Thursday, clearing a measure that would set a new spending record for the Pentagon while embedding a permanent initiative to integrate US and Israeli military technology. The 216-212 vote on the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act fell largely along party lines, with all but seven Republicans backing the bill and all but six Democrats opposing it. The legislation now moves to the Senate, where Democratic leaders blocked their chamber’s version last week, citing the absence of legal guardrails on the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Republican proponents, led by House Speaker Mike Johnson, argued the funding is essential to support troops engaged in hostilities with Iran, replenish depleted munitions stockpiles, and deliver a 5-to-7 percent pay rise for service members. The bill also authorises construction of a “Golden Dome” missile defence system for the US mainland, modelled on Israel’s Iron Dome. Democrats, however, framed the vote as a referendum on a war they describe as illegal and unauthorised by Congress. Representative Jerry Nadler said he could not grant the administration “$1.15 trillion for their out-of-control military spending and irresponsible actions.” The Pentagon has reported that the conflict has cost $37.5 billion and claimed the lives of 18 American military personnel since late February.

Section 219 of the bill, which directs the defence secretary to designate a Pentagon executive agent to accelerate joint research, testing, and industrial cooperation with Israel across ten technology areas, drew opposition from an unusual coalition of progressive Democrats and Republican sceptics of foreign entanglements. Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, warned that codifying such integration would compromise American sovereignty and create “a lopsided arrangement.” Viewed from Tehran, state media described the budget as financing a “war imposed against Iran.” Analysts in New Delhi note that the record allocation, roughly $250 billion above the previous year’s level, signals a sharp US prioritisation of military spending over social programmes at a time when the Trump administration is cutting domestic outlays. In European capitals, diplomats have expressed concern that the bill’s attachment to the “SAVE America Act” — legislation imposing new nationwide voting restrictions — could further complicate its path through Congress.

The NDAA process remains at an early stage. The House and Senate must now reconcile their competing versions, a negotiation that will test whether Democratic demands for constraints on the Iran war can be accommodated. Senate Republicans have pledged to try again to advance the bill before the August recess. If a compromise version passes both chambers, it would go to President Donald Trump, who could sign it into law or issue a veto.