US President Donald Trump secured a hard-won legislative victory on Wednesday as the US House of Representatives cleared a $1.15 trillion defence spending bill by a wafer-thin 216-212 margin.
The development came even as America's war with Iran continues to strain both the military and Congress.
The narrow tally for the bill, which is named 2027 National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), stood out precisely because the legislation has historically enjoyed comfortable support from both parties.
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At $250 billion above last year's allocation, the funding boost includes a 5-7% pay rise for troops, Reuters reported.
House Speaker Mike Johnson framed the increase as overdue recognition for service members, while also linking the money to bolstering America's nuclear deterrent and advancing the Golden Dome missile shield, a project Trump has championed as a US equivalent to Israel's Iron Dome.
Republicans on the Armed Services Committee went further, arguing the funds were essential to replenish weapons stocks run down by the ongoing campaign against Iran.
Democrats were far less charitable. Representative Jerry Nadler said handing Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth "$1.15 TRILLION for their out-of-control military spending" was something he could not support, calling the NDAA a bill that bankrolls an unlawful war and weakens democratic checks.
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The bill's journey through the Senate is likely to get harder still.
Attached to it, through a procedural manoeuvre, is Trump's SAVE America Act, which would impose new nationwide restrictions on voting, a pairing that has infuriated Democrats and threatens to complicate negotiations in the upper chamber.
Separately, a provision expanding joint military cooperation between Washington and Israeli armed forces has stirred its own controversy over recent weeks.
With the House vote this close and two contentious riders attached, the bill's prospects in the Senate remain uncertain, even as the administration counts Wednesday's outcome as a win.
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