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Legislative bills

Senate Committee Approves Defense and Labor Funding Bills

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved two major funding bills, including the Defense appropriations bill in a 26-3 vote and the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill in a 26-3 vote, with Vice Chair Patty Murray calling for accountability and transparency from the Trump administration. The bills will now move to the full Senate for consideration.

The Defense appropriations bill focuses on deterring China, strengthening our allies, and modernizing the military, with Senator Chris Coons praising the bipartisan bill for making crucial investments in our military. The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill rejects Trump's cuts to critical programs, such as Title X funding and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention program, and increases the NIH budget by $400 million.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the draft fiscal year 2026 Defense appropriations bill in a 26-3 vote, with a focus on deterring China, strengthening our allies, and modernizing the military.
  • The committee also approved the draft fiscal year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill in a 26-3 vote, which rejects Trump's cuts to critical programs and increases the NIH budget by $400 million.
  • Vice Chair Patty Murray called for accountability and transparency from the Trump administration, stating that the investments made in these bills are only half of the equation, and more needs to be done to demand accountability, transparency, and adherence to existing laws.
  • Senator Tammy Baldwin praised the bill for addressing the kitchen table issues facing working families, including childcare costs, connecting Americans with good-paying jobs, and taking on the mental health and opioid epidemics.
  • The following amendments to the bills were considered during the markup: Manager's packages offered by Chair McConnell and Chair Capito, amendments to prohibit DOD from providing support for DHS immigration enforcement, amendments to prevent the transfer of presidential aircraft, amendments to require DOD to produce a report on the use of chemical 6PPD, and amendments to reinstate grants and other awards terminated by the Trump administration.

Statistics:

  • 26-3 vote in favor of the Defense appropriations bill
  • 26-3 vote in favor of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill
  • $400 million increase in NIH budget
  • 15-14 party line vote in favor of rescinding funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
  • 15-14 party line vote in favor of requiring CMS to notify the Committee and conduct an analysis prior to terminating critical access hospital (CAH) status for any hospital that met certain distance requirements
  • 95 million dollars provided for the Social Security Administration to improve customer service for Americans seeking to access the benefits they are owed

Sources:

  • "United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray Committee approves Defense funding bill in a 26-3 vote -- BILL SUMMARY HERE"
  • "Committee approves LHHS bill in a 26-3 vote -- BILL SUMMARY HERE"
  • "MIL-OSI USA News (http://milnz.co.nz/mil-osi-aggregation/) - Copyright 2025 Multimedia Investments Ltd, distributed by Contify.com"

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