Lawmakers unveiled a $839 billion full-year defense spending bill on Tuesday, providing the Pentagon roughly $8 billion more than requested by the Trump administration.
The bill includes $3.9 billion for the military’s sixth-generation aircraft. Of that, $3 billion is earmarked for the Air Force’s F-47 fighter and $972 million for the Navy’s F/A-XX, according to the House Appropriations Committee.
The legislation also allocates $7.6 billion for 47 F-35s, $1.9 billion for the B-21 Raider, $474 million for EA-37B Compass Call planes, and $27.2 billion for 17 Navy ships.
The budget agreement also includes $400 million for a “European capacity building” program, which House Democrats said in a bill summary could be directed to support Ukraine.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, senior Senate GOP staff told Stars and Stripes Tuesday that ongoing aid to Ukraine is central to the Trump administration’s efforts to end Russia’s war and protect any ceasefire or peace agreement.
“We suspect that this continued security assistance is far more palatable than U.S. boots on the ground,” the staff said.
The bill also allocates $200 million for the Baltic Security Initiative, enabling the U.S. to provide military aid, training, and defense equipment to countries on NATO’s eastern front line.
The bipartisan, bicameral measure is expected to be voted on by the House this week, with the Senate set to consider it when it returns from recess next week.
