Senate Passes $901 Billion Defense Bill, Pressures Hegseth on Boat Strike Video

• The Senate approved a $901 billion annual military policy bill (National Defense Authorization Act) with bipartisan support, authorizing defense programs and a 3.8% troop pay raise.
• The bill pressures Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide video of alleged drug boat strikes near Venezuela, threatening to withhold a quarter of his travel budget.
• It aligns with Trump's priorities, shifting focus to Central/South America, but also pushes back on Pentagon moves by maintaining troop levels in Europe/South Korea and aiding Ukraine.
• The legislation repeals diversity/inclusion efforts, grants emergency military powers at the US-Mexico border, and repeals 1991 Gulf War and 2003 Iraq war authorizations.
• Concerns arose over a provision allowing military aircraft waivers for location broadcasting, prompting a separate bill to mandate broadcasting for all aircraft after a fatal collision.

Why It Matters: Senate passes a massive defense bill, balancing Trump's agenda with congressional oversight and demands.