Congress has cleared a new $900 billion defense policy bill, sending it to President Donald Trump for signature and locking in a 3.8% pay raise for all military service members starting Jan. 1, 2026. The package passed the Senate on Dec. 17 in a 77-20 vote, just as lawmakers headed home for the holidays.
Beyond the pay raise, the bill pours money into military infrastructure: new dining facilities, schools, and child care centers for service members’ families, along with upgrades to military hospitals. It also formally recognizes the Lumbee Tribe in North Carolina after a years-long campaign, opening access to a wide range of federal Native American programs.
The National Defense Authorization Act drew broad bipartisan support. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., framed the wage hike as part of a broader push to strengthen the force and deter adversaries, praising the bill as a continuation of “historic investments” for service members in what he branded the “One Big Beautiful Bill” and celebrated in a public statement.
Still, the package exposed sharp divides. Sen. Patty Murray, who leads the Senate’s appropriations work for Democrats, opposed the measure. Murray argued that it fails to restrain the Trump administration’s recent military actions in Venezuela, which she labeled “lawless,” and criticized the omission of a provision to expand IVF coverage for service members. In her view, the bill reflects a deeper “politicization and weaponization” of the armed forces under current leadership.
Pentagon faces pressure over Caribbean boat strikes
One of the most contentious sections of the bill targets the Pentagon’s handling of unedited footage of lethal strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean. During one early-September operation that killed 11 people, the decision to fire on survivors has drawn intense scrutiny from lawmakers and international law experts who warn it may amount to a war crime.
To force transparency, Congress tied part of the Pentagon’s travel budget to cooperation. If Secretary of War Pete Hegsethrefuses to make the full Sept. 2 video available to Congress, the bill mandates a 25% cut to the travel account, a rare punitive move that underscores how seriously lawmakers are taking the episode.
Helicopter warning carve-out sparks bipartisan backlash
The bill also quietly shifts aviation rules in the nation’s capital. A new provision would allow certain helicopters operating in the District of Columbia to skip broadcasting precise location warnings to nearby aircraft. Aviation safety advocates have zeroed in on that flexibility, warning it resembles the kind of carve-out that helped create the crowded airspace preceding the fatal crash near Reagan National Airport in January, which killed 67 people.
Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., have already teamed up to close what they view as a dangerous loophole. The Senate has unanimously advanced a separate bipartisan safety package to roll back the helicopter exemption and tighten airspace safeguards around the capital.
Long-sought recognition for the Lumbee Tribe
For members of the Lumbee Tribe in North Carolina, the bill marks a watershed moment. Tribal members packed the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 17 as the NDAA cleared Congress with a provision granting them long-sought federal recognition. With that status, the Lumbee can tap into a broader suite of federal Native American programs and support streams.
The move has not been universally applauded in Indian Country. Other tribal nations have criticized the Lumbee for bypassing the Interior Department’s usual recognition process. Still, President Donald Trump has been an outspoken supporter of the Lumbee push, emphasizing earlier this year that “they were with me all the way.” That political backing, combined with the bipartisan coalition behind the bill, helped seal recognition in a must-pass defense bill.
