{"id":28710,"date":"2026-01-02T20:12:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T20:12:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cndailynews.store\/?p=28710"},"modified":"2026-01-02T20:12:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T20:12:47","slug":"senate-oks-massive-defense-bill-sends-to-trumps-desk-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cndailynews.store\/?p=28710","title":{"rendered":"Senate OKs Massive Defense Bill, Sends to Trump\u2019s Desk"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This article may contain commentary
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On Wednesday, the Senate sent a significant defense package to President Donald Trump, completing one of the last major legislative tasks for the year.\u00a0Lawmakers came together to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a comprehensive $901 billion bill packed with defense policies that allocate funding for several of the Trump administration\u2019s national defense priorities.<\/p>\n

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The measure received strong bipartisan support, passing the upper chamber with a vote of 77-20. This legislative exercise is an annual routine for Congress, typically wrapping up the year without much controversy.<\/p>\n

This year, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) encountered challenges in the House that put its passage at risk. While the Senate proceedings were less contentious, there were still unresolved issues regarding certain provisions that caused concern among lawmakers.<\/p>\n

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Bipartisan frustration arose over a provision that aimed to relax some safety standards in the airspace over Washington, D.C. This comes after a tragic incident earlier this year when a collision between a Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport resulted in the loss of 67 lives.<\/p>\n

Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, proposed an amendment to remove this controversial provision. Instead, he sought to include his ROTOR Act, which would require the implementation of technology in aircraft to enhance awareness of air traffic,\u00a0Fox News reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Amending the package would have required it to return to the House. Instead, Cruz plans to attach his legislation to future spending bills.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m seeking a vote on the ROTOR Act as part of any appropriations measure before the current continuing resolution expires at the end of next month,\u201d Cruz said.<\/p>\n

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\u201cOther provisions, like a requirement for the Pentagon to release the unedited footage of boat strikes in the Caribbean in exchange for fully funding the Department of War\u2019s travel fund, raised eyebrows but didn\u2019t slow down the package\u2019s success,\u201d Fox reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat provision comes as lawmakers demand more transparency in the Trump administration\u2019s strikes against alleged drug boats, and in particular, as they seek the release of the footage from a Sept. 2 double-strike on a vessel,\u201d the report added.<\/p>\n

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed all U.S. senators this week on the military strikes.<\/p>\n

Republican senators largely expressed satisfaction following the briefing, while Democrats complained that Hegseth declined to show unedited footage of the strikes to every member of the chamber.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe refused,\u201d Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., whined. \u201cThe administration came to this briefing empty-handed. That\u2019s the major question that we face, and if they can\u2019t be transparent on this, how can you trust their transparency on all the other issues swirling about in the Caribbean.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s likely much of the footage is classified and cannot be released in an open briefing.<\/p>\n

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The legislation also includes several provisions with bipartisan support, including continued assistance for Ukraine and the repeal of the 1991 and 2002 authorizations for the use of military force related to the Gulf War and the Iraq War.<\/p>\n

With the National Defense Authorization Act now headed to President Trump\u2019s desk, the Senate still faces additional legislative work before adjourning for the new year.<\/p>\n

Senate Republicans are seeking to advance nearly 100 of President Trump\u2019s nominees before the end of the session. Lawmakers from both parties are also weighing a five-bill spending package that could address funding issues ahead of the Jan. 30 deadline to avert a government shutdown.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis defense authorization act, although it doesn\u2019t have as much in there for defense as a lot of us would like, is a step in the right direction,\u201d Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said. \u201cAnd I think the defense appropriations bill, which hopefully we\u2019ll vote on later this week, is another example of the investment that we need to be making, to ensure that in a dangerous world, we are prepared to defend America and American interests.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n