The Senate approved the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act on Thursday evening, advancing a $925 billion defense spending package that includes $500 million in military assistance to Ukraine.
According to Bloomberg, CNN, Fox News the vote count reached 77 to 20 in favor of the legislation.
The bill authorizes payments for the military, military construction projects, weapons development, and geostrategic policy initiatives. It provides for the extension of the US Assistance to Ukraine Initiative through 2028, with the specified increase in funding to $500 million.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker announced the legislative breakthrough after more than a month of delays.
The Senate floor session extended into the evening of 9 October as lawmakers worked through a marathon sequence of amendments. Senators charged through more than a dozen partisan proposals and approximately 50 additional amendments before advancing to final passage, according to reporting on the legislative process.
The House will now enter conference committee with the Senate to reconcile its own version, which included more contentious Republican provisions. The final version requires approval from both chambers by the end of 2025. The Senate passed the bill during an ongoing government shutdown.
Shifting US Strategy on Ukraine support
The $500 million in Ukraine funding comes as the US has effectively scaled back military aid under the Trump administration. After Trump came to power, a new mechanism was implemented under which NATO funds military supplies to Ukraine, rather than direct US provision.
In August, the US State Department approved a potential sale to Ukraine of services for the repair and support of M777 artillery howitzers, including transportation and consolidation services, totaling $203.5 million.
On 16 September, the Trump administration approved the first two packages of military assistance to Ukraine financed by NATO. Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby clarified that these involve two shipments of weapons worth $500 million.
According to The Telegraph, the recent government shutdown could temporarily freeze Ukrainian-American negotiations on arms deliveries. The Senate-passed defense bill addresses this uncertainty by establishing the extended USAI funding through 2028.
