Senate Moves Forward With $925 Billion Defense Bill Amid Shutdown

After weeks of political paralysis and partisan infighting, the U.S. Senate finally advanced the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Thursday a massive $925 billion package to fund the Pentagon even as the government shutdown enters its ninth day with no end in sight.

The defense bill, long stalled by Democrat obstruction and backroom drama, passed through the Senate on a bipartisan vote following a grueling vote series on dozens of amendments. But the breakthrough comes with a bitter taste: military service members are still unlikely to be paid next week as Congress refuses to reopen the government.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-MS) expressed frustration with the current state of gridlock, highlighting the absurdity of Congress failing to fund basic government functions while still managing to move forward on defense:

“In this time, when we can’t seem to muster up a 60-vote majority to keep us in business as a federal government, we were able to pass the National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 26-to-1.”

This movement only happened after Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) finally dropped his hold on the bill. Gallego’s objection? He wanted a vote on an amendment that would block Ashli Babbitt the Air Force veteran fatally shot during the January 6 Capitol protest from receiving military funeral honors. The Air Force had extended an offer for honors earlier this year, sparking backlash from far-left Democrats. Gallego’s attempt to strip Babbitt of her veteran rights failed.

The Senate chewed through a flurry of amendments, many of them clearly aimed at undermining President Donald Trump or rewriting the rules of military deployment:

• Chuck Schumer’s amendment to block funds for retrofitting a Boeing 747 gifted to Trump by Qatar was defeated.

• Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) attempted to prevent Trump and Republican governors from deploying National Guard units across state lines without local approval a thinly veiled jab at Trump’s law-and-order response to Antifa riots in 2020.

• Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) threatened to block the bill entirely unless she got a hearing to investigate Trump’s past use of the Guard in Democrat-run cities. She backed down after Sen. Wicker promised a hearing in “the coming weeks.”

However, not all Democrat proposals were shot down. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) successfully pushed through an amendment to repeal the long-standing 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force in Iraq, as well as a 1991 Gulf War resolution an effort to roll back U.S. military authority in the Middle East just as threats from Iran and its proxies continue to rise.

Meanwhile, while Washington plays politics, the American military is being held hostage by the shutdown. Senate lawmakers aren’t expected to return until Tuesday, meaning active-duty service members will likely miss their paychecks despite the Senate voting to authorize $925 billion for national defense.

Let that sink in: Congress just green-lit nearly a trillion dollars for the Pentagon, but can’t guarantee a paycheck for the very men and women who wear the uniform.

This is the twisted reality of Washington under weak leadership.

The House has already passed its own version of the NDAA, and now the two chambers must reconcile their bills. But the clock is ticking, and troops are caught in the crossfire of political gamesmanship mostly from the left.

President Trump, who has long advocated for strong military funding and proper respect for veterans, has yet again become a target of Democrats who remain obsessed with January 6 rather than focusing on the needs of our armed forces.

If there was ever a time to drain the swamp, this is it.

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