House passes defense spending bill over objections to Israel provision

The House of Representatives passed the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with a 216-212 vote, despite objections from some Democrats and Republicans regarding a provision for increased U.S.-Israel military cooperation. Section 219 of the bill, which calls for a coordinator for U.S.-Israel military cooperation, drew criticism from Representatives Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who alleged it would "fuse" the two militaries. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated, "This amendment is an existential threat to American sovereignty and democracy." An amendment by Representative Anna Paulina Luna was adopted to strike the word "integration" from Section 219, but the provision remained. The $1.15 trillion defense package also includes a $65 million increase in U.S.-Israel defense cooperation spending, totaling $750 million, and shifts missile defense funding towards the Arrow 3 system from Iron Dome. AIPAC applauded the inclusion of the United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative, stating it "will help keep America safe and bolster our strategic capabilities." The bill now moves to the Senate.