U.S. House of Representatives approves bill with huge defense budget
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday approved by a vote of 216 to 214 a framework for a $95 billion budget bill as part of the legislative "reconciliation" mechanism, which includes increased spending on the Pentagon, agricultural aid, and funds to encourage states to adopt election restrictions supported by President Donald Trump.
US media reported that all but seven Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while all but six Democrats rejected it.
The bill calls for $73 billion for defense and intelligence amid the ongoing war with Iran, $12 billion for agricultural aid, and $10 billion for a grant program aimed at incentivizing states to adopt stricter electoral measures, such as requiring proof of citizenship and showing ID to vote in federal elections.
Republicans said the $1 trillion spending was needed to support the military at a time when it is at war with Iran, to fund the development of defense systems and the purchase of equipment, to provide benefits for soldiers such as salary increases of up to 7 percent, and to build barracks and housing for their families.
Aid to Israel worries Democrats
Democrats have objected to the huge amount allocated to the Pentagon, as President Donald Trump and Republicans cut spending on social programs, as well as the ongoing war on Iran, which the Pentagon said has cost $37.5 billion so far.
Democrats attacked the bill, saying it squandered tens of billions of dollars on what they called Trump's "selective and costly war" against Iran and contradicted his campaign promises not to get involved in new wars in the Middle East.
Democrats have expressed concern about a provision that would significantly expand military-tech cooperation between the United States and Israel, despite calls by many Americans, particularly from the left, to reduce U.S. support for Israel due to fears of many Palestinian civilian casualties from the Gaza war.
Earlier this month, more than half of Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives voted to cancel $3.3 billion in U.S. aid to Israel, the strongest sign yet of the erosion of traditional partisan support for Israel in the wake of the Gaza genocide war.
A long legislative path
The vote is a victory for House Speaker Mike Johnson, although a number of Republicans objected to the lack of spending cuts to offset the new amounts, and some lawmakers criticized the inclusion of war funding with Iran in a reconciliation bill that allows Republicans to bypass the need for support from Democrats in the Senate.
The bill still faces a complicated legislative path, with the Senate having to approve the budget framework, amid reservations from a number of Republicans there, and Republican Majority Leader John Thune announcing he would delay moving forward with the reconciliation project until an agreement is reached to avoid a government shutdown later this year.