Trillion-dollar military bill passed; Israel cooperation fuels controversy

By Grant Colby · Reporting from Amarillo · July 23, 2026

The US House passed sweeping defense funding measures on Wednesday, July 23, 2026, sending a massive spending package to the Senate.

Spending Trillions on Foreign Commitments Betrays American Enterprise

The passage of the $1.15 trillion National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA) should send every responsible American businessman and patriot running for cover. This massive spending package, which passed through the House with a vote count of 216-212, is nothing short of fiscal lunacy—a colossal commitment that sacrifices common sense and national sovereignty on the altar of political expediency. While proponents argue this funding hike from $900 billion last year is necessary for stability in the Middle East, it represents an alarming acceleration of unchecked military spending driven by a desire to fulfill President Trump’s mandate for dramatic increases, rather than actual threats or American needs. The inclusion of explicit provisions expanding military technological cooperation with Israel—a measure drawing fire from opposition lawmakers like Representative Thomas Massie who warned that it "tragically merges our military technology and supply chains with Israel’s"—is particularly egregious. This isn't just funding; it is a surrender of American independence, forcing us into an alliance structure that betrays the core principles of self-reliance inherent in true American enterprise.

The Illusion of Necessity: War Funding Masquerading as Policy

The bill attempts to cloak its immense cost and foreign entanglement under the guise of necessary policy reform. Beyond the main NDAA spending, lawmakers also approved a separate $95 billion budget blueprint designed specifically to fund military operations against Iran and advance other executive priorities. This blueprint allocates funds for additional military resources (up to $73 billion), farmers ($12 billion), and even election overhaul measures like the SAVE America Act ($10 billion). The sheer breadth of this bundling is telling: they are linking core defense expenditures—the kind that should be debated in a sober, serious forum—to domestic policy changes. This structure suggests legislative consensus has fractured along lines of political alignment, not financial necessity. Critics were right to point out the contradiction: Representative Adam Smith questioned the entire architecture, stating plainly that he "cannot and do not support meeting these needs by making massive cuts to critically important domestic programs and slashing taxes." The fact that even some Republicans object to this fiscal bundling reveals the bill’s fundamental weakness—it is a political mechanism, not a strategic defense plan.

A Dangerous Distraction from American Priorities

The true danger of this legislation isn't just the $1.5 trillion total commitment (from $900 billion last year); it is the distraction it represents from our own borders and industries. The debate focuses heavily on geopolitical instability in the Middle East, specifically the US and Israel’s involvement in what Al Jazeera reported as a "widely unpopular war on Iran." While proponents view this spending hike as an urgent necessity for maintaining stability, I see only reckless overreach. Furthermore, the attempt to pass this via a filibuster-proof reconciliation bill—which NPR noted is intended to advance Trump’s signature SAVE America Act proposal—shows that the goal isn't defense; it's political maneuvering. The entire package attempts to authorize sustained military action through legislative means while simultaneously forcing domestic policy reforms and foreign alliances into one disastrous, unmanageable financial bundle.

Congress has passed a spending bill that is fiscally irresponsible, strategically dubious, and politically motivated, creating an unsustainable commitment of American resources far better spent bolstering our own industrial base here in the heartland.

Trillion-dollar military bill passed; Israel cooperation fuels controversy

Spending Trillions on Foreign Commitments Betrays American Enterprise

The Illusion of Necessity: War Funding Masquerading as Policy

A Dangerous Distraction from American Priorities

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