The House passed a $1.15 trillion defense policy bill on Wednesday with a controversial provision expanding U.S.-Israel military cooperation intact, overriding bipartisan opposition to the measure.
The fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act passed 216-212, with six Democrats joining Republicans in support and seven Republicans opposing the measure, according to The New York Times.
Section 219 of the bill, titled the United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative, would require the Pentagon to designate an executive agent responsible for coordinating and accelerating joint defense research, weapons development, and technology integration between the U.S. and Israeli militaries, according to Fox News.
The provision would direct the defense secretary to identify jointly developed or Israeli-origin technologies that could be integrated into U.S. weapons programs and promote joint ventures, licensing agreements and U.S.-based production partnerships with Israeli companies, Fox News reported.
Supporters of Section 219 argue it would streamline existing cooperation and give American troops faster access to Israeli defense technology. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers said the provision would improve oversight and efficiency by assigning responsibility for existing initiatives to a single official, according to Fox News.
Critics contended the executive-agent structure would give U.S.-Israel projects a privileged path through the Pentagon and further entrench Israeli technology in the American defense supply chain. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., introduced a bipartisan amendment to strike Section 219 from the bill, but the House Rules Committee blocked a floor vote on the proposal, according to Legis1.
The fight over Section 219 exposed a rare partisan fracture on the defense bill, which has historically enjoyed broader bipartisan support. Democratic opposition was also driven by Republican-backed amendments restricting gender-affirming medical care for military dependents and easing access to personal firearms on military bases, Fox News reported.
The Senate had previously blocked consideration of the bill on July 14, voting 50-46 to prevent debate over concerns about the Trump administration’s military actions in Iran and the Israel provisions, according to Al Jazeera.
The House-passed bill now heads to the Senate, where lawmakers will consider their own version of the NDAA before negotiating a final conference agreement. Senators including Bernie Sanders and Chris Van Hollen have raised concerns about Section 219, with Sanders calling for its removal from the bill.
Sources
- The New York Times — House passage vote count (216-212) and bill amount ($1.15 trillion)
- Fox News — Section 219 details, executive agent role, technology integration specifics, and supporter/critic arguments
- Legis1 — Massie-Khanna amendment and House Rules Committee blocking vote
- Al Jazeera — Senate July 14 vote blocking debate (50-46)
- Military.com — Confirmation of House passage with Section 219 intact and bipartisan opposition
