Senate Clears Procedural Hurdle for $901 Billion Defense Bill in Landmark Vote

By Michael Katz | Monday, December 15, 2025

The Senate on Monday voted 76-20 to invoke cloture and end debate on the $901 billion National Defense Authorization Act, a key procedural step that positions the chamber for a final passage vote later this week. The move clears a major hurdle for the Pentagon’s annual defense policy bill but stops short of passing it as lawmakers weigh last-minute amendments.

The NDAA authorizes defense programs and sets military policy for the coming fiscal year. Though it does not fund government operations, the legislation has been enacted annually for more than six decades and is widely regarded as must-pass.

Embedded in the bill is a bipartisan amendment proposed by Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washington). This amendment would eliminate restrictions on U.S. military helicopter operations in heavily trafficked domestic airspace, including the Washington, D.C., region.

The restrictions were introduced following a January 29 midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport involving a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger jet that killed 67 people. The incident prompted aviation safety recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board.

The NDAA also includes broad policy provisions, such as repealing the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force tied to the Gulf War and Iraq War. It addresses oversight of recent U.S. military operations and incorporates language related to the Trump administration’s actions against suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean.

The Cruz-Cantwell amendment would prohibit the Department of Defense from conducting certain manned rotary-wing training missions unless aircraft were actively equipped with systems to warn of nearby commercial air traffic. It also mandates annual Pentagon reports on near-miss incidents involving military and commercial aircraft.

Although the Senate voted to end debate on the bill, the Cruz-Cantwell amendment remains pending. Invoking cloture does not adopt amendments, and Senate leaders could choose not to advance it for a vote, thereby preventing its inclusion in the final bill.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) stated that changes to the NDAA are unlikely because any Senate amendment would require the House to re-pass the bill—a step House leaders have warned could jeopardize final passage. The House passed the measure on December 10 by a margin of 312-112.

If the Senate passes the NDAA without amendments, it would move directly to President Donald Trump for signature. However, if lawmakers approve changes such as the Cruz-Cantwell provision, the bill would return to the House, potentially triggering further negotiations or a conference committee. Thune noted that “it would be really hard to undo” the legislation now and added that a separate aviation safety bill proposed by Cruz could receive an amendment vote attached to upcoming spending measures.