US lawmakers move to block Europe troop cuts below 76,000

U.S. would be barred from reducing the number of troops permanently stationed or deployed in Europe below 76,000 for more than 45 days under a compromise version of the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) expected to be put to a vote as early as this week.

The proposed restrictions would remain in place unless Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and the head of U.S. European Command certify to Congress that the reduction is in U.S. national security interests and that NATO allies have been consulted, along with providing an assessment of the potential impact, American political newspaper writes.

The measure also applies the same conditions to any potential decision to vacate the role of NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, a position that has been held by a U.S. officer for decades.

The provisions reflect growing bipartisan concern in Congress that President Donald Trump could seek to significantly scale back America’s military footprint on the continent. Lawmakers in both chambers have cited the risk that such moves could embolden Russia, including Trump’s administration’s recent decision to remove a rotational Army brigade from Romania.

A sprawling compromise version of the annual defence bill has been in the works for months and stands in contrast to Trump’s latest national security strategy, which sharply criticised European allies and suggested the continent is in cultural decline.

In addition to the troop limitations, lawmakers backed a modest increase in defence spending. The agreement recommends a total of roughly $901 billion for the Pentagon, nuclear weapons development and other national security programmes — about $8 billion more than Trump requested. The House version had matched the president’s proposal, while the Senate had called for a larger $32 billion increase.

Despite the higher topline, the defence policy bill itself does not allocate funds. Congress must still pass separate appropriations legislation to finance Pentagon programmes. House Armed Services ranking member Adam Smith called the agreement a “placeholder” as lawmakers continue negotiating a full-year funding package.

A Republican leadership aide described the increase as a “fiscally responsible increase that meets our defence needs.”

The bill includes similar restrictions on reducing U.S. troop levels on the Korean Peninsula below 28,500, language that was originally approved by the Senate.

It also seeks to repeal two longstanding Middle East war authorisations — the 2002 Iraq War measure and the 1991 Gulf War authorisation — after bipartisan support overcame objections from some senior Republicans. Lawmakers backing the move argue the outdated powers are vulnerable to misuse, pointing to Trump’s use of the 2002 authorisation to help justify a 2020 strike that killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani.

A second House Republican aide said the repeal of the two Iraq authorisations would not affect Trump’s authority as commander-in-chief.

The 2001 post-9/11 authorisation, which underpins many U.S. counterterrorism operations, however, would remain in effect.

The legislation is silent on Trump’s campaign against alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean, an issue that has raised legal doubts among some lawmakers.

It also does not include a planned expansion of in-vitro fertilisation and other fertility services for military families under the Tricare health system. The proposal had been backed by several Democratic lawmakers but was ultimately dropped during negotiations.

By Aghakazim Guliyev