Washington: The U.S. Senate has passed an annual defense policy bill that includes a measure to restrict the government from unilaterally reducing the current troop level of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), a week after the House of Representatives approved it.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the upper chamber approved the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026 in a 77-20 vote Wednesday. The bill will become law after U.S. President Donald Trump signs it following the Senate approval.
The bill states that amounts authorized under the act may not be obligated or expended to reduce U.S. troops in South Korea, though it allows for the use of the funds following certification that the USFK troop reduction is in the U.S. national security interest and that the action is being undertaken only after appropriate consultations with allies, including South Korea.
Additionally, without such a certification, funds allocated under the act may not be expended to complete the transition of wartime operational control from the United States to South Korea in a manner that deviates from a bilateral agreement, as outlined in the bill.
The measure to restrict the USFK troop drawdown reappeared in the bill for the first time in five years. It was included in the NDAA during the first Trump administration to help prevent a unilateral troop drawdown.
The bill authorizes US$901 billion in military spending for the upcoming fiscal year. Congress passes it each year to set defense policy and funding priorities and give guidance on a range of key security matters.