The Senate voted 50-46 to block debate on the $1.15 trillion NDAA, with Democrats citing the Iran war and provisions for deeper US-Israel military ties. The House also stalled.
The Senate on Tuesday failed to advance the $1.15 trillion National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2027. Democrats blocked the procedural vote, citing the Iran war and provisions that would deepen military ties with Israel.
The vote was 50-46, falling short of the 60 needed to open debate. Nine Democratic members of the Armed Services Committee had already voted against the bill last month.
Sen. Bernie Sanders said the bill funds an illegal and immoral war in Iran. He called the spending staggering at a time when millions struggle to pay bills. Sen. Ron Wyden said he could not support the spending while Donald Trump wages an idiotic war that spikes gas prices. Wyden also objected to new authorities that accelerate cooperation with Israeli contractors on surveillance and AI technologies.
Sen. Jeff Merkley said he voted no because of excessive military spending, de facto approval of the Iran war, and provisions forcing deeper US-Israeli defense and intelligence sharing.
Republicans criticized the move. Sen. Bernie Moreno accused Democrats of holding America hostage. Sen. John Cornyn said they were playing politics with national security.
The House is also stalled. A rule vote on the NDAA failed 198-224 last week. The Rules Committee had blocked an amendment from Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna to strip Section 219, the Israel military integration language. Members from both parties voted down the rules, preventing debate from starting.
Progressive groups cheered the Senate vote. Medea Benjamin of CodePink said grassroots pressure made the vote possible. Steve Ellis of Taxpayers for Common Sense said the Senate sent a clear signal that a 28% boost in the Pentagon base budget is not going to fly. Robert Weissman of Public Citizen called the vote a repudiation of throwing more money at a waste-ridden Pentagon while cuts force millions to lose health coverage.
Greg Williams of the Project on Government Oversight said the Senate was right to reject the bill, particularly as the executive branch continues its illegal, unsanctioned war in Iran. He called the budget topline recklessly high, with an increase not seen since World War II.
The NDAA typically passes with strong bipartisan support and has become law annually for more than six decades. The process is still early. Each chamber will eventually produce its own version, and a conference committee will negotiate a compromise. That compromise would then need to pass both chambers and be signed by the president.
For now, both chambers are frozen. The House cannot proceed because it voted down its own rules. The Senate cannot proceed because it could not get 60 votes to start debate. No vote has yet occurred on the Israel provisions themselves.
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