US House passes $901bn defence bill, adds pressure on Pentagon over secrecy

The US House has approved a sweeping $901bn defence bill for 2026, advancing one of Washington’s largest annual policy packages while sharpening its demands for transparency from the Trump administration.

The measure passed 312–112 on Wednesday and now heads to the Senate, where it’s expected to clear next week before reaching President Trump’s desk.

The bill authorises $8bn more than the White House originally requested and runs more than 3,000 pages, mixing the usual hardware acquisitions with a 4 percent troop pay bump and upgrades to military housing.

Lawmakers also inserted provisions shoring up Washington’s pledges to Europe, including $400m a year for Ukraine over the next two years and a requirement that the Pentagon maintain at least 76,000 troops in Europe unless NATO allies agree otherwise.

Several initiatives disliked by Trump were cut, including roughly $1.6bn tied to diversity, equity, inclusion and climate programmes.

But the fiercest pressure point is aimed at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Tucked into the bill is a provision threatening to strip 25 percent of his travel budget unless he releases more information about recent deadly US strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

That includes granting lawmakers access to unedited video of the operations and the orders authorising them.