The House managed to break through its own internal gridlock on Wednesday, passing the National Defense Authorization Act — a massive $901 billion package funding America’s military. It wasn’t exactly a smooth march to the finish line, but it was a march nonetheless.

The NDAA cleared the chamber with a 312–112 vote. Interestingly, 18 Republicans and 94 Democrats voted against it — proof that even when Washington “works,” it still somehow refuses to agree on anything. But the real nail-biter was the procedural vote right before, which squeaked by at 215–211. At the last minute, four Republicans — Anna Paulina Luna, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Tim Burchett, and Lauren Boebert — flipped their votes from “no” to “yes,” getting the bill across the threshold just in time. Every Democrat voted against the rule, naturally.

House and Senate leaders have already merged their versions into one unified package, meaning the bill is now set for an easy ride through the Senate and then onto President Donald Trump’s desk. And given the priorities baked in, you can see why Trump-world is watching closely.

There’s plenty inside this bill to raise eyebrows.

Hardline conservatives objected to the inclusion of $400 million per year for two years in Ukraine funding — far from the “zero” many would have preferred. It also drops a much-desired provision blocking the Federal Reserve from creating a central bank digital currency. Apparently, that fight will have to wait.

And then there are the restraints slapped onto President Trump: restrictions on reducing troop levels in Europe and South Korea, and limits on pausing weapons deliveries to Ukraine. Congress seems determined to keep every Cold War-era deployment alive forever — which, let’s be honest, probably makes Germany and South Korea pretty happy. Losing all those U.S. troops (and their spending power) wouldn’t exactly thrill their local economies.

Another notable measure withholds one quarter of War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget until the Pentagon hands over raw footage of the strikes on alleged narco-trafficking boats near Venezuela. Accountability with consequences — a refreshing concept in Washington, even if the Pentagon is probably grinding its teeth over it.

Speaker Mike Johnson is highlighting several major wins Republicans can be proud of:

• A 4% pay raise for enlisted troops

• The elimination of DEI policies across the Pentagon

• Crackdowns on antisemitism

• Cutting $20 billion in waste from outdated programs and bureaucracy

• Strong provisions targeting China

Eliminating DEI is a clear victory — no footnotes needed. And troops getting a raise is long overdue. The spending cuts are good, too, though considering Ukraine is getting eight times that amount, it puts things into perspective.

Another key provision bans the Pentagon from contracting with Chinese genetic sequencing and biotech firms, and blocks the purchase of sensitive components — like advanced batteries, displays, photovoltaic tech, and critical minerals — from foreign adversaries such as China. Good start. But one has to ask: if it’s too dangerous for the Pentagon, why shouldn’t every federal agency be under the same restrictions? Especially after what we’ve learned about NIH, USAID, and Wuhan. Just saying.

Now, the NDAA moves to the Senate, where it’s expected to glide through. After that, it goes straight to President Trump’s desk — where American defense, American workers, and American priorities finally come first again.

A good step forward.