Overview

• The chamber approved the National Defense Authorization Act 77–20, authorizing roughly $914 billion in defense policy compared with the House’s near-$893 billion level.
• Leaders broke a monthlong stalemate by agreeing to 17 standalone amendment votes plus a manager’s package of about 50 items, after holds from Sens. Maria Cantwell and Ruben Gallego were resolved.
• Senators adopted by voice vote a bipartisan repeal of the 1991 and 2002 Iraq war authorizations and increased authorized Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funding to $500 million, with an extension through 2028 reported.
• Democratic proposals to block spending to retrofit a Qatari-donated jet for presidential airlift and to restrict interstate National Guard deployments failed, though a hearing on recent Guard deployments was promised.
• The bill now heads to a House–Senate conference to reconcile major policy and topline differences as the government shutdown raises concerns about delayed military pay.