The House passed a major defense bill on July 22, 2026, by a vote of 216 to 212. Six Democrats joined Republicans to send the $1.15 trillion defense authorization to the Senate. On the same day, House Republicans advanced a separate $95 billion spending plan by a vote of 216 to 214. That plan includes more than $70 billion for the Iran war, $12 billion in farm assistance, and funding to carry out the SAVE America Act. NPR

The defense bill, called the National Defense Authorization Act or NDAA, sets the policy and spending levels for the military each year. Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said the bill "comes with the inclusion of $1.15 trillion in discretionary spending." That is an increase from last year's version, which President Trump signed in December 2025 and authorized nearly $1 trillion. That earlier bill included $800 million for Ukraine, a 4% pay raise for service members, and extensions of childcare and military housing programs. NPR Reuters

The Senate has its own version of the defense bill. A week before the House vote, Senate Democrats blocked it, demanding changes to President Trump's war effort in Iran. Reuters reported that blockade on July 14, calling the $1.15 trillion defense total "unprecedented." The Senate version also included a proposal to rename the Pentagon to the "Department of War" and sought $750 million for Ukraine, up from $400 million per year under the previous bill. Reuters Reuters

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S.-Iran war has cost taxpayers $37.5 billion. The U.S. death toll stands at 18 service members, with nearly 500 injured. NPR

The separate $95 billion spending plan uses a process called budget reconciliation. Think of reconciliation as a fast track: it lets certain budget measures pass the Senate with a simple majority instead of the 60 votes usually needed. That means the party in power can pass it without help from the other side. Speaker Mike Johnson had to overcome resistance from fiscally conservative Republicans in his own party to advance the plan. NPR

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he wants to prioritize extending government funding past the midterm elections. The Senate's next move on both the defense bill and the reconciliation plan is the central question. The House and Senate will need to negotiate one combined version of the defense bill, and the Senate's earlier blockade over Iran war provisions signals those talks could be difficult. NPR

On a separate topic, the House Appropriations Committee released its FY2027 Defense Appropriations Bill on June 10 and approved it on June 24. Chairman Tom Cole spoke before the House Committee on Rules in support of H.R. 9770, the bill that actually provides the money. House Appropriations Committee

Congress is also working on a ban on stock trading by its own members. The Congressional Research Service published a report on July 15 examining bills in the 119th Congress that would limit or prohibit members' financial activities. GOP leaders had planned to bring a stock-trading ban to a House floor vote the following week. Politico CRS

Several stock-trading ban bills exist in the current Congress. Rep. Tim Burchett introduced H.R. 1908, the End Congressional Stock Trading Act, which was sent to a subcommittee. Rep. Bryan Steil introduced H.R. 7008, the Stop Insider Trading Act, which would stop members, their spouses, and dependent children from buying stocks and would require public notice before they sell. In the Senate, a bill sponsored by Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia, S. 1879, passed the House, was sent to the President, and became law. Congress.gov Congress.gov

The stock-trading ban has not been attached to either the defense bill or the reconciliation plan. NPR's reporting on the July 22 House votes makes no mention of stock-trade limits being included in either package. The two issues are moving on separate tracks.

The broader picture is a packed schedule with three big items competing for time in both chambers. The defense bill goes to a Senate that already blocked it once over Iran war objections. The reconciliation plan, if it passes the Senate on a party-line vote, would deliver most of the administration's Iran war funding without needing support from the other party. Thune's goal of extending government funding past the midterms adds a third item that will compete for limited time on the floor, and how Senate leaders prioritize these three will shape what reaches the President's desk and when.