In her article in @amconmag, @CatoFP's @katherinet57 writes: "The new National Defense Authorization Act handcuffs the president to an antiquated European defense posture."
Read here:https://t.co/bNaMo0gcja pic.twitter.com/Idm7lyhoPu— Cato Foreign Policy (@CatoFP) December 7, 2025
Sprawling defense legislation set for a vote as soon as this week would place new restrictions on reducing troop levels in Europe, a bipartisan rebuke of Trump administration moves that lawmakers fear would limit U.S. commitments on the continent.
A just-released compromise version of the National Defense Authorization Act — which puts Congress’ stamp on Pentagon programs and policy each year — has been in the works for months. The measure stands in stark contrast to President Donald Trump’s new national security strategy, which sharply criticized criticized European allies and suggested the continent is in cultural decline.
Lawmakers also endorsed a slight increase in the Pentagon budget with a price tag that is $8 billion more than Trump requested. And it would repeal decades-old Middle East war powers, a small win for lawmakers who’ve been fighting to reclaim a sliver of Congress’ war-declaring prerogatives.