The House passed its annual defense policy bill Wednesday largely along party lines after adopting a number of amendments on geothermal energy, electric vehicles and critical minerals.
The lower chamber’s version of the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act includes a proposal for the Pentagon to take action to address soaring electricity costs for military installations and service members. It also aims to supercharge domestic mineral processing and cement the Department of Defense’s support of nuclear energy in statute.
While it started out as a bipartisan bill, most Democrats turned on the legislation due to growing concerns about authorizing more than $1 trillion for war-related programs amid the ongoing conflict with Iran. The approval of some conservative amendments this week also cost the bill votes on the floor.
Still, the House’s 216-212 passage of the NDAA inches Congress closer to landing a compromise measure before the end of the year — even as the war with Iran continues to cause problems for the legislation across the Capitol.
