Sean Moran 9 Sep 2025
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the Trump administration’s statement on the Senate version of a must-pass defense authorization bill, stating it thwarts President Donald Trump’s ability to conduct diplomacy and rein in immigration.
The OMB sent the Statement on Administration Policy (SAP), which was obtained by Breitbart News, to Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, about the Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2026. The letter states that the Trump administration has three priorities with the Department of War: “re-establish deterrence, rebuild the military, and revive the warrior ethos.”
Both chambers of Congress are working to advance their versions of the NDAA. The Senate last week set up voting to advance the legislation, while the House Rules Committee met Monday to discuss moving its version through Congress’s lower chamber. Congressional defense leaders hope to find a compromise bill that can be crafted before Thanksgiving.
The Trump administration’s SAP articulates the president’s view on the current status of the bill and outlines changes it wishes to see to the bill.
The SAP argues that the bill, as currently written, “adheres to a status quo that has been used against the Administration in the past authorizing an increase in discretionary appropriations for defense”:
The Administration is pursuing flexible and efficient investment in capabilities designed for manufacturability, unmanned platforms, incorporation of artificial intelligence, and use of advanced manufacturing techniques, many of which will come at lower costs. While the bill makes strides in certain areas, there is still more work to be done to ensure it does not tie the hands of the Administration to implement the President’s reforms at the Pentagon.
While the Trump administration letter praises the bill for making strides, it noted that there are many provisions that may hamstring the president’s authority to carry out his electoral mandate to conduct diplomacy and crack down on immigration.
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https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/09/09/white-house-senate-defense-bill-thwarts-trumps-ability-end-war-ukraine-control-migration/
