The U.S. Senate has approved its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) - the annual legislation that sets funding levels and authorities for the American military, according to CNN, The New York Times, and The Hill.

The final vote was 77-20.

The Senate version of the bill provides $925 million in funding for the U.S. Armed Forces for fiscal year 2026. The vote came after lawmakers reached a deal earlier in the day to unlock the stalled legislation.

One of the amendments adopted would end the authorization for the use of military force in Iraq, a measure that was also included in the House’s version of the package.

Senators also approved a bipartisan amendment to the bill that gives the Pentagon additional authority to counter threats from drones over military facilities.

The Senate bill includes an extension of the USAI (Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative) through 2028 and an increase in the authorized funding from $300 million in 2025 to $500 million in 2026.

Now that the Senate has passed its package, the House and Senate will proceed to a conference committee to resolve the differences between the two packages. The final version is expected to be approved by both chambers before the end of the year.

Sources:

https://nytimes.com/2025/10/09/us/senate-passes-bipartisan-925-billion-defense-policy-bill.html

https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/government-shutdown-news-10-09-25?post-id=cmgjz70r200053b5y53hs209a

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5548582-senate-passes-defense-bill/
https://x.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1977031642729357626