House passes defense bill, forcing Pentagon's hand on boat strike videos [View all]

Source: Politico

12/10/2025 05:41 PM EST


The House passed an annual defense policy bill on Wednesday that takes surprising aim at the Pentagon’s boat strike campaign in Latin America and the Trump administration’s dismissal of longstanding U.S. military commitments. The National Defense Authorization Act heads to the Senate, which will likely send the measure to President Donald Trump, who supports the bill.

The compromise agreement would withhold a quarter of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget until the Pentagon provides Congress with unedited videos of airstrikes against alleged drug smuggling boats. It also goes after Trump’s push away from European allies and demands a rationale when the Defense Department fires officials.

Lawmakers’ $901 billion compromise bill is the result of months of negotiations between House and Senate leaders. A total of 115 Democrats joined 197 Republicans on the 312-112 vote, a remarkable shift from a House draft loaded with hard-right social provisions that passed in September along largely partisan lines.

Even with the blowout vote, lawmakers expressed bipartisan angst over the final bill. Many Republican holdouts wanted major cryptocurrency legislation attached.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/10/house-passes-ndaa-boat-strike-videos-00685641