Senate Narrowly Approves Trump’s $150 Billion Defense Boost in Sweeping Policy Bill

 The Senate has narrowly passed President Donald Trump’s sprawling “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a 940-page package that advances his major tax, health care, and border security priorities while providing a critical $150 billion surge in defense spending. The 51-50 vote on Tuesday, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote, marked a key victory for the Trump administration as it races to enact its legislative agenda before the July 4 deadline.

The bill, which now returns to the House for final approval, includes massive military investments for shipbuilding, the Golden Dome homeland missile defense project, munitions, and other key Pentagon programs. Defense officials have said they intend to count this funding as part of the Department of Defense’s overall fiscal year 2026 budget plan, arguing it is essential to maintaining readiness and modernization.

Last week, the Pentagon requested an $848 billion base budget, a cut when adjusted for inflation, but is counting on $113 billion in immediate funding from this supplemental package. Combined, the military’s budget would approach $960 billion for the year. Officials indicated they may aim to keep military funding near $1 trillion in the following year, though the administration has not yet finalized its budget baseline.

Some lawmakers from both parties expressed concerns that the one-time surge could create budgeting confusion for the Pentagon and defense contractors. Senior military officials countered that the immediate funding would stabilize planning and reassure defense companies that typically face delays due to temporary spending measures like continuing resolutions.

The House’s final vote will determine whether Trump meets his self-imposed July 4 deadline to sign the bill into law. Without passage, defense leaders warned the Pentagon would face tough choices in preserving programs funded by the supplemental spending.