After nearly four hours of debate on Tuesday, the House Armed Services Committee advanced a Republican-sponsored $150 billion defense spending increase – largely unchanged through the amendment process – and destined to become part of the upcoming reconciliation bill.
The bill passed in a 35–21 vote, with five Democrats – Reps. Don Davis, D-N.C.; Jared Golden, D-Maine; George Whitesides, D-Calif.; Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M.; and Eugene Vindman, D-Va. – breaking ranks to join Republicans in supporting the measure.
The $150 billion defense funding increase is part of a broader package of spending changes to advance President Donald Trump’s agenda. This portion of the bill will be folded into a larger reconciliation package allowing Republicans to bypass the Senate filibuster with a simple majority vote. The process began earlier this month when the House and Senate approved a budget resolution.
If Republicans succeed in passing the full bill it would push total defense spending above $1 trillion for fiscal year (FY) 2025, when combined with the already approved $886 billion defense budget. President Trump has also announced his intention to seek a $1 trillion Defense Department (DoD) budget for FY 2026.
Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., called the proposed defense spending increase an investment “in defense priorities to achieve President Trump’s Peace Through Strength agenda.” He said the vote marked a “historic day” and the first opportunity for the committee to use the reconciliation process to add defense funding to the budget.
Among the 12 focus areas covered by the bill, the Golden Dome missile defense project stands out as the second-largest item on the list, receiving $25 billion in funding. This marks the first major funding injection for the project, which aims to integrate existing programs with new development efforts.
The bill also includes $7.2 billion for the development and procurement of space-based sensors, $5.6 billion for space-based and boost-phase intercept capabilities, $2.4 billion for non-kinetic missile defense systems, and $2 billion for air moving target indicator military satellites. In addition, $2.2 billion is allocated to accelerate the development of hypersonic defense systems, $1.9 billion for enhanced ground-based missile defense radars, and $800 million for the rapid development and deployment of next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile defense systems.
The bill also sets aside $14 billion to “expand DoD initiatives to scale production of game-changing new technology and expedite delivery of low-cost, attritable weapons systems needed to ensure success on future battlefields.” Additionally, $400 million is allocated for investment in “IT infrastructure, business systems, and new AI capabilities needed to ensure the DoD fully passes an audit.”
The bill’s passage has sparked strong reaction from Democrats, particularly Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the committee. Smith criticized the largely partisan reconciliation process, arguing that he couldn’t support the $150 billion defense increase because he opposed the broader reconciliation bill. He called the proposal a “disaster for this country,” citing its potential to cut funding for Medicare, the Centers for Disease Control, and other vital programs that benefit American taxpayers.
Democratic lawmakers on the committee failed to block or amend the bill before it advanced out of the committee. Democrats introduced nearly two dozen amendments – most targeting Defense Secretary Hegseth’s leadership at the Pentagon – but all failed to pass.
The defense portion of the reconciliation bill now moves to the House Budget Committee, where it will be merged with other pending legislation into a comprehensive package.