Pentagon gets blank check for Middle East military expansion

What it does

This bill establishes a new U.S. military cooperation program with countries that have normalized relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords framework (including signatories and other Arab/Muslim-majority nations seeking Israeli ties since 2020). The Secretary of Defense will coordinate joint defense initiatives focused on countering Iranian aggression, developing shared military capabilities (air defense, missile systems, intelligence, special operations), and conducting joint exercises—with the expectation that participating countries will contribute matching funds.

Why we flagged it

The bill's core function is to establish a formal defense cooperation initiative with Abraham Accords signatories and related countries, centered on joint military capability development and Iranian deterrence. It is a geopolitical/military coordination instrument, not a domestic policy or appropriations measure.

What the text implies

• The bill does not specify funding amounts or appropriations, delegating cost determination to the Secretary of Defense via a 60-day report. This creates a blank check for military spending without explicit congressional budget authority.
• The definition of 'Abraham Accords country' is expansive and self-referential ('any regional, Arab, or Muslim-majority country that has sought to normalize relations'), potentially allowing the Secretary to unilaterally expand the program's scope without further legislative action.

The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.

Who stands to gain

defense contractors (missile systems, air defense, ISR platforms); military equipment manufacturers; aerospace and defense sector broadly