House passes reconciliation framework for Pentagon boost, voting restrictions

The House narrowly approved a Republican budget framework intended to open the way for a new reconciliation package combining military spending, farm assistance and election-policy measures. The move matters because reconciliation can allow legislation to pass the Senate with a simple majority, but the eventual bill and its prospects in the Senate remain uncertain.

The framework passed 216–214 and proposes about $95 billion in new spending: $60 billion for the Pentagon, $13 billion for other national-security programmes, $12 billion for farmers and $10 billion for election-related grants. Republicans aim to use the grants to encourage states to adopt measures aligned with the SAVE America Act, including proof-of-citizenship registration requirements and photo identification at polling stations; critics argue that such provisions may not comply with reconciliation rules.