House passes defense bill, pressuring Pentagon to release boat strike video

Zoom in: Notably, the bill that passed 312-112 includes a provision that would withhold 25% of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's travel budget unless the Pentagon complies with oversight requirements on disclosing more information on U.S. military strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean.

• This would include a second strike on an alleged drug boat near Venezuela on Sept. 2 where the military was reportedly ordered to kill survivors.
• A specific provision is to give the House and Senate armed service committees all "unedited video of strikes conducted against designated terrorist organizations in the area of responsibility of the United States Southern Command."
• The vote came as Attorney General Pam Bondi posted video of the U.S. military seizing a large tanker loaded with crude oil bound for Cuba.

Zoom out: Other legislative requirements would be authorizing $400 million in security assistance for each of the next two years and blocking the Pentagon from reducing troop numbers in Europe, which President Trump has pushed for, as well as South Korea.

Of note: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) had to earlier quash an internal rebellion over a procedural vote for the bill.

What they're saying: Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the armed services committee said ahead of the vote that the bill was "the most ambitious swing at acquisition reform that we've taken."

• He noted the provisions pushing back against the Trump administration and added that it does "a meaningful job of trying to reassert some legislative authority."

What's next: The measure is headed to the Senate.

Go deeper: Mike Johnson squashes another internal revolt