Two Central Illinois congressmen split on party lines in how they voted on an annual defense policy and spending bill.
The National Defense Authorization Act allocates funding for the Department of Defense and sets policy for the agency. This year's proposal includes raises for service members, more than a billion dollars for building barracks and housing, and tens of billions for weaponry, boats and aircraft.
The bill passed out of the House of Representatives on a 216-212 vote.
Seven Republicans voted no and two did not vote at all, compared to the 209 that supported the bill. Six Democrats also supported the bill, breaking from the 205 in the party who voted against it.
All three Illinois Republican representatives — Darin LaHood, Mary Miller and Mike Bost — voted for the bill. The remaining Illinois Democrats all voted no, including Rep. Eric Sorensen, who represents Central Illinois along with LaHood.
The bill includes hundreds of provisions. As an example, an amendment proposed by LaHood directs the Department of Defense to stop using Chinese-manufactured silicon carbide-based semiconductors. Silicon carbide is a highly sought-after material for its wide industrial uses, especially in technical equipment.
"With ever-evolving threats and foreign adversaries constantly working to undermine and harm the United States, this bill ensures that our military and intelligence community have the tools they need to handle any threat," LaHood said in a statement.
LaHood's amendment further requires the Pentagon to report to Congress on American manufacturers of silicon carbide-based semiconductor chips and the challenges presented by international competition. LaHood serves on a House committee on Strategic Competition between the U.S. and the Chinese Communist Party.
Another amendment would establish a partnership between the U.S. and the Israeli Defense Force. Section 219 of the bill would create the U.S.-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative.
Under the proposal, a special agent would be appointed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the U.S. DoD and Israel Defense Forces [IDF] would collaborate on aerial, maritime and ground counter-strike systems, missile and air defense technologies, artificial intelligence, quantum, machine learning and autonomous systems, among about seven other items listed in the bill.
Section 219 also calls for a yearly report on the partnership, including but not limited to its activities and the Israeli industry members it has partnered with.
Sorensen said that provision, among a couple others, pushed him to vote no.
"I do not believe we should be lumping the United States Military and the IDF together," he said. "Israel needs to have the ability to defend itself the same way the United States does."
One amendment would require the department to find ways to cut 200,000 civilian defense jobs. Sorensen said that could affect the Rock Island Arsenal, though another amendment in the bill prohibits closing the arsenal.
Another bans the participation of transgender women and girls from participating in women and girls sports at Department of Defense schools and academies.
"I am not willing to throw out anyone from the military. So that's why I voted no," he said.
