U.S. House approves 2026 defense bill with $400M for Ukraine

The New York Times reported the information.

Voting process

As the authors noted, the 231–196 vote, mostly along party lines, showed how Republicans in Congress have turned the annual Pentagon policy bill, once enjoying broad support, into a tool for advancing conservative social measures.

“For the third consecutive year, Republicans attached new restrictions to block diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, a range of climate restrictions, and an increase in the flow of decommissioned military weapons into a civilian firearms program — alienating even Democrats who had initially supported it,” the article said.

Purpose of the bill

The stated goal of the bill was to streamline and modernize the process by which the Pentagon identifies and meets military needs, including research, budgeting, contracting, production, and supply. This process has been criticized by both Republicans and Democrats in Congress, as well as by representatives of the defense industry.

The report noted that, despite the partisan nature of the final bill, it includes efforts backed by both conservative Republicans and progressive Democrats to restore Congress’s military authority after decades in which the executive branch gained broad powers to conduct military operations without lawmakers’ approval.

While Republicans and Democrats praised the bill’s measures they believe will improve the Pentagon’s ability to carry out defense missions and strengthen the military, much of the debate was consumed by disputes over several conservative social policy restrictions introduced by Republicans during largely party-line votes.

Some of these targeted transgender service members and their families, echoing the Trump administration’s efforts to discharge transgender troops from the armed forces.

What the bill means for Ukraine

Despite Republican resistance to providing military aid to Ukraine, the defense policy bill allocates $400 million to the Pentagon’s initiative supporting Ukraine’s security.

The House rejected Marjorie Taylor Greene’s proposal to cut funding for Ukraine, with both Republicans and Democrats voting against it.

Lawmakers also added a requirement for the Pentagon to report to Congress if the administration plans to cancel or suspend military aid to Ukraine approved by Congress, which the authors noted appears to be an attempt to restore legislative oversight after the Pentagon paused Ukraine aid this summer without notifying lawmakers.

• Earlier, Reuters reported that the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee had approved the draft National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the 2026 fiscal year, which includes $500 million in security assistance for Ukraine.