Defense Debates Heat Up as Congress Weighs Must-Pass Policy Bill

Aug. 26, 2025, 9:00 AM UTC

Senate leaders will sort through almost 700 amendments—ranging from border issues to Taiwan security and counter-drone technologies—when they take up the $925.8 billion defense authorization bill next week.

Both the House and Senate versions of the legislation share two critical themes. One is speeding up the Pentagon’s adoption and purchasing of modern weapons as well as innovative commercial technologies. The second is boosting the US biotech industry and policies.

One major difference looms: the topline budget authorization. The Senate version would authorize about $32 billion more than the Trump administration requested, while the House measure hews close to the request ...

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