The House of Representatives passed the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act on Wednesday despite objections from some Democrats and Republicans about a provision calling for greater military cooperation between the United States and Israel.
The must-pass measure to fund the Pentagon budget passed mostly along party lines in an unusually close vote for a bill that usually receives broad bipartisan support.
Just six Democrats, all in competitive districts or not seeking re-election, voted in favor of the bill, and seven Republicans opposed. It passed 216-212.
Many Democrats and some Republicans objected to Section 219 of the bill, which calls on the U.S. defense secretary to designate a coordinator for U.S.-Israel military cooperation.
Critics of the provision, led by Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), alleged that it would “fuse” the U.S. and Israeli militaries despite the text of the section focusing on creating a bureaucratic administrative role to manage existing cooperative efforts.
“This amendment is an existential threat to American sovereignty and democracy,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) wrote on Tuesday, claiming that it would “merge parts of our military with the Israel Defense Forces.”
Democrats also objected to other provisions of the bill, such as the inclusion of the SAVE America Act, which requires strict forms of voter identification nationwide.
Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, wrote that the bill was “loaded with toxic, partisan amendments that continue the rightwing culture war.”
Before final passage, the House agreed by voice vote to an amendment to Section 219 from Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) striking its uses of the word “integration” but otherwise leaving the provision intact.
The House did not consider an amendment from Massie to delete the provision entirely. Both Massie and Luna were among the Republicans who voted against passage of the overall bill.
“Let’s hope this version fails in the Senate, because Section 219 is a betrayal of our sovereignty,” Massie wrote after the vote.
The $1.15 trillion defense package also includes other Israel-related provisions, including a $65 million increase in total U.S.-Israel defense cooperation spending to $750 million.Of the $500 million it would spend on U.S.-Israel missile defense programs, the 2027 package significantly shifts funding away from the short-range rocket and mortar defense system Iron Dome and towards the Arrow 3 system, which can be used to intercept Iranian ballistic missiles.
The 2027 NDAA allocates $150 million to Arrow 3, up from $50 million in 2025 and $100 million in 2026, while taking Iron Dome funding down to just $20 million from $60 million in 2026 and $110 million in 2025.
“We applaud the inclusion of a new provision that will help keep America safe and bolster our strategic capabilities, the United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative,” AIPAC stated.
“This authorizes the Pentagon to work even closer together with Israel in the strategic arenas that will define 21st‑century warfare, ensuring American troops have a greater edge over our adversaries,” the pro-Israel group said.
It added that pro-Israel provisions in the bill also “support American jobs, enhance troop safety and keep the United States at the forefront of defense innovation by leveraging the enduring U.S.-Israel partnership.”
The bill will now proceed to the Senate.
