Will the Senate pass the $1.15 trillion defense authorization bill before its Aug 8 recess?
52% of users predicted NO — the community got this one right. 27 predictions cast.
The Senate did not pass the $1.15 trillion defense authorization bill before its August recess. On July 14, 2026, senators voted 50-46 against invoking cloture on a motion to proceed to the National Defense Authorization Act, falling short of the 60 votes needed to open debate. The vote broke almost entirely along party lines: all 50 "yes" votes came from Republicans, while 43 Democrats, independents Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Majority Leader John Thune, who switched his vote to preserve the option of a future motion to reconsider, voted no. Democrats said Congress should not advance the record Pentagon budget while Trump was escalating military action against Iran, and some objected to provisions deepening U.S. military and intelligence cooperation with Israel. No subsequent attempt to advance the bill succeeded before the Senate adjourned for recess on Aug. 8, leaving the NDAA's fate to the fall session. Predict Six's community was closely divided on the bill's chances, with 48% predicting passage before recess, essentially a coin flip that ultimately came down "no."