Senate defies shutdown gridlock to pass annual defense bill

Published October 9, 2025 9:24pm ET



In a rare note of bipartisanship that defied shutdown drama, the Senate passed its annual defense bill Thursday after a voting marathon that became a referendum on Donald Trump’s authority as president.

It took weeks and a series of symbolic concessions to Democrats to jump-start the National Defense Authorization Act, which sets the Pentagon’s policy priorities and authorizes its spending.

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