US House Passes $1.7 Trillion Defense Authorization Act... Puts Brake on USFK Troop Reduction

Restrictions on Budget for USFK Troop Reduction
Senate Approval Uncertain Amid Republican-Democratic Standoff

AP Yonhap News

On July 22 (local time), the U.S. House of Representatives passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which approves the budget spending and policies of the Department of Defense. The budget for the 2027 fiscal year has exceeded 1,700 trillion won. This NDAA also includes a provision restricting the funds that can be used in the event of a reduction of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) troops.

According to the Washington Post (WP), the House announced that the NDAA had passed in a plenary session that day with 216 votes in favor and 212 votes against. Unlike previous NDAA bills, which typically passed through bipartisan agreement, this time the U.S. Republican and Democratic parties were sharply divided. All but seven Republicans voted in favor, while all but six Democrats voted against.

Notably, the bill contains a provision restricting the budget that can be used if USFK troop numbers are reduced below the current level of 28,500. This appears to be intended to preemptively block the possibility of reducing U.S. troops in South Korea, a move that U.S. President Donald Trump has previously mentioned.

The bill must now go through a Senate review, upon which a unified version will be drafted and subsequently passed by both chambers, before it can be finalized by the President's signature. However, with tensions intensifying between the Republican and Democratic parties over the additional spending bill that also passed the House that day, it is expected that securing passage in the Senate will not be easy.

On the same day, the House also passed a 95 billion dollar additional budget package, with 216 votes in favor and 214 against, intended to support the Iran war and key policies of the Trump Administration. This package includes 60 billion dollars to the Department of Defense for supporting the Iran war, 13 billion dollars for other national security areas, 12 billion dollars in agricultural assistance, and 10 billion dollars in state grants for the implementation of voter ID laws. Previously, the Department of Defense had stated that it had spent 37.5 billion dollars on the Iran war so far.

The Republican Party argued that a large-scale defense budget was needed for conducting the war in Iran, strengthening missile defense systems, purchasing military equipment, and increasing service member salaries. In contrast, the Democratic Party, objecting to the significant increase in defense spending while cutting social welfare budgets, cast the majority of votes against both bills.

Bloomberg News, citing sources, reported, "It is uncertain whether the additional budget package will pass the Senate in its current form," and pointed out that "not only are Democrats opposed, but among Republican senators, opinions are divided between defense hardliners who advocate for an increase in defense spending and fiscal conservatives who call for spending cuts."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.