Senate Reaches Deal to Vote on Defense Bill, Ends Gridlock/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The Senate broke a month-long stalemate over its annual defense policy bill by agreeing to vote on 17 amendments and the bill itself. The deal revives hopes for passing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) before Thanksgiving. Key Democratic and Republican priorities are included in the package, with votes expected as early as Thursday.
Senate Defense Bill Agreement Quick Looks
- Senate reaches deal to vote on 17 NDAA amendments
- Includes manager’s package with 50+ bipartisan changes
- Final vote on defense bill could happen Thursday
- Amendments need 60-vote majority to be adopted
- Schumer gets vote to block Trump’s Qatari jet retrofitting
- Tim Kaine to vote on repealing 2002 Iraq War authorization
- National Guard deployment issues among Democratic priorities
- Without a vote, Senate risked losing say in NDAA negotiations
- House passed its version in September; compromise expected by Thanksgiving
- Gallego drops push to block funeral honors for Ashli Babbitt
Deep Look
Senate Strikes Deal to End Stalemate and Advance Defense Policy Bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Oct. 9, 2025 — After weeks of legislative paralysis, the U.S. Senate has broken a month-long deadlock on the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), reaching an agreement that clears the way for a series of votes on 17 amendments and potentially final passage of the bill as early as Thursday.
The breakthrough comes as lawmakers faced mounting pressure to act or risk losing control of the legislative process to House negotiators. Leaders on both sides hailed the deal as critical to maintaining congressional oversight of national defense policy.
A Hard-Fought Deal
Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) secured the agreement on the Senate floor, working closely with Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to broker a path forward. The deal includes votes on 17 individual amendments and a manager’s package comprising roughly 50 less controversial proposals from both Republicans and Democrats.
“We’ve got about 18 amendment votes that we could start today and finish today,” Thune told reporters on Wednesday.
All votes—including those on amendments and the final bill—will require a 60-vote threshold to pass.
Why It Matters
The NDAA is one of Congress’s most critical annual responsibilities, authorizing the Pentagon’s operations, troop pay, defense programs, and national security strategy. The current version had been stuck in legislative limbo since it first reached the floor in early September.
Without this deal, the Senate was at risk of skipping full floor consideration and going straight to conference negotiations with the House, which already passed its version of the NDAA last month. That outcome would have diminished the Senate’s influence in shaping the final bill.
Senator Wicker warned on the floor:
“If we do not bring this to the floor today, this matter will not have time for deliberation on the Senate floor.”
Key Amendments Up for Debate
The 17 amendments selected for votes reflect a mix of party priorities, including:
- Sen. Chuck Schumer’s proposal to block funding for President Donald Trump to retrofit a gifted Qatari jet for use as a personal Air Force One
- Sen. Tim Kaine’s (D-Va.) long-standing push to repeal the 2002 Iraq War authorization, a symbolic but significant rollback of executive war powers
- Democratic-backed measures concerning National Guard deployments and their roles in law enforcement assistance
The Political Backdrop
Passage of the NDAA has historically been bipartisan, but this year’s process was bogged down by partisan disagreements over which amendments would get floor votes. Under Senate rules, unanimous consent is required to rapidly move through amendments—giving any one senator power to stall proceedings.
The logjam intensified concerns that Congress might fail to pass the NDAA through regular order for the first time in years.
“This week is make-or-break,” one Senate aide said. “Without this vote, we’re out of the process.”
One Sticking Point Removed
A key obstacle to the deal was resolved when Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) dropped his proposed amendment to bar military funeral honors for Ashli Babbitt, the Air Force veteran fatally shot while storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
The Air Force previously announced in August that it would proceed with providing Babbitt military funeral honors, which made the amendment largely symbolic. Gallego withdrew the measure to help move the broader defense bill forward.
What’s Next
If Thursday’s votes proceed as planned, the Senate will finalize its version of the NDAA. After that, the House and Senate will enter conference negotiations, aiming to merge both chambers’ versions of the bill into a final package by Thanksgiving.
The stakes are high, not just for military operations and funding, but for broader national security issues and foreign policy tools embedded in the legislation.
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