US Congress passes massive defense bill that includes support for Ukraine and Europe

WASHINGTON, Dec 17 - The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to advance a $901 billion bill setting policy for the Pentagon, sending the massive piece of legislation to the White House, which has said President Donald Trump will sign ‍it into ​law.

The fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, is a compromise ‍between separate measures passed earlier this year in the House of Representatives and Senate. It authorizes a record $901 billion in annual military ​spending, with ​a 4% pay raise for the troops, purchases of military equipment and efforts to boost competitiveness with U.S. archrivals China and Russia.

The Senate backed the bill by 77 to 20, with strong support from both parties.

The House ‍passed the bill last week.

In a break with Trump, whose fellow Republicans hold majorities in both the House and Senate, ​this year's NDAA includes several provisions to boost ⁠security in Europe, despite Trump early this month releasing a National Security Strategy seen as friendly to Russia and a reassessment of the U.S. relationship with Europe.

The fiscal 2026 NDAA provides $800 million for Ukraine - $400 million in each of the next two years - as part of the ​Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays U.S. companies for weapons for Ukraine's military.

It also authorizes the Baltic Security Initiative and provides $175 million to ‌support Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia's defense. And it ​limits the Department of Defense's ability to drop the number of U.S. forces in Europe to fewer than 76,000 and bars the U.S. European Commander from giving up the title of NATO Supreme Commander.

Members of Congress take great pride in having passed the NDAA every year for more than six decades.

This month a handful of senators from both parties called for the addition of a provision to strengthen military helicopter safety rules, following a fatal crash between an Army Black Hawk and ‍an American Airlines passenger jet that killed 67 people.

But anger over that issue was not strong enough ​to hold up the bill.

The NDAA also does not include funding to change the name of the Department of Defense to the Department ​of War, something Trump wants but cannot formally do without congressional approval.

However, it does ‌include some of the "culture war" efforts popular with politicians on the U.S. right. One measure bars transgender women from participating in athletic programs designated for women at U.S. ‌military academies. REUTERS