The U.S. Capitol as seen on March 21, 2024. (Gianna Gronowski/Stars and Stripes)
WASHINGTON — The Defense Department has yet to submit a detailed budget proposal to Congress, but the House is moving forward with a spending plan for the Pentagon anyway.
The House Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved a $831.5 billion defense spending bill in a 36-27 vote that keeps the base Pentagon budget flat for fiscal 2026, which begins Oct. 1. The measure next goes to the House floor.
Democrats on the committee overwhelmingly voted against the legislation, criticizing provisions that target diversity initiatives and abortion access for service members and a lack of funding for a longstanding program that arms Ukraine in its war with Russia.
“Either you stand up for liberty where it is being fought for or you don’t — there’s no wavering that can happen,” said Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, who unsuccessfully tried to add $300 million to the measure for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., said lawmakers will work to include Ukraine aid through other means but cannot include it in the bill because it could jeopardize Republican votes needed to pass the legislation.
“I want to get a defense bill done, and I’m not interested in dividing those who will support it,” he said.
The committee also rejected a proposal from Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., to prohibit funding for changing the names of eight Navy ships that are named after American civil rights leaders.
The amendment came as a response to reports that the Navy plans to rename a replenishment oiler named after gay rights leader and Navy veteran Harvey Milk and is considering name changes to other ships.
Republicans argued naming authorities rested with the executive branch and the Navy secretary and the proposal would hinder Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s efforts to root out diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the military.
“This amendment would tie the secretary’s hands, preventing efforts to de-politicize our military and to shift focus away from activism toward the needs of our sailors and the readiness of our fleet,” said Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., a Navy veteran.
Democrats were able to push through several other amendments, however.
The committee approved a proposal from Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., to prohibit funding for activities that violate the Posse Comitatus Act, which bars the use of federal troops on domestic soil for policing purposes.
The panel also adopted an amendment from Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., requiring a report itemizing all costs associated with a military parade in Washington to celebrate the Army’s 250th birthday on Saturday, which is also President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.
The overall defense bill advanced out of the committee with just one Democrat vote, from Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington.
“Every member here knows what needs to happen for this bill to become law,” said Rep. Betty McCollum of Minnesota, the top Democrat on the committee’s defense appropriations subpanel. “The Trump administration needs to do its job and submit a complete budget request to Congress. The partisan riders have to come out. That is the only way this bill will get the bipartisan support it deserves.”
The legislation provides service members with a 3.8% pay raise, cuts 45,000 civilian jobs, slows permanent change-of-station moves to save more than $662 million and allocates $13 billion for Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense system.
Lawmakers from both parties expressed frustration with the lack of a full budget proposal from the Defense Department. Hegseth told the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday that Congress would have it “very soon.”
Rep. Ken Calvert of California, the Republican chairman of the defense appropriations subcommittee, said the delay “somewhat hampered” the work of appropriators, who found it more difficult to assess opportunities for investment or reductions.
Despite the lack of detailed information, the committee “has produced a bill that invests wisely to meet our obligations to the warfighter and to keep this nation safe from ever-growing threats,” he said.
