Senate Appropriators Approve $852B Fiscal 2026 Defense Spending Bill

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved an $852.5 billion defense spending bill for fiscal year 2026, exceeding President Donald Trump's budget request by $21.7 billion to address various funding shortfalls and Pentagon accounting errors. The legislation includes increased investments in shipbuilding, munitions production—including $7.3 billion to boost armaments and manufacturing facilities—and advanced technologies like drone and counter-drone systems, with a 3.8% pay raise planned for troops and an increase in military end strength. Notably, the bill restores $800 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which Trump's administration had sought to eliminate, reflecting bipartisan Senate support for aiding Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. The committee also allocated funds for Indo-Pacific security, including $1 billion for Taiwan's Presidential Drawdown Authority and an additional $500 million for the Indo-Pacific deterrence fund. Senate leaders from both parties praised the bill for addressing emerging defense needs and expressed concerns about reliance on one-time funding measures for long-term defense planning. The bill now faces a likely contentious reconciliation with the House, which favors a flat defense budget aligned with the Pentagon's original request.