Qatar’s air defenses shot down Iranian missiles targeting the US military base there on Monday.

The retaliatory attacks came after the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites on Saturday.

Qatar’s Patriot air defenses, along with US-operated ones, defeated the Iranian attack.

Qatar confirmed its air defenses shot down Iranian missiles targeting the US’ largest base in the Middle East, a spectacular and high stakes light show seen in the darkened skies above the US ally.

Qatar boasts a number of capabilities, including the superlative US-made Patriot system. Qatari and US-operated Patriot batteries destroyed incoming ballistic missiles fired by Iran on Monday, US Central Command said in a statement, noting there were no casualties to American or Qatari personnel.

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Iran launched a missile strike against the US’s Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The retaliatory attack came two days after the American military bombed Iran’s three nuclear facilities.

The Foreign Ministry of Qatar said in a statement that the country’s air defenses “successfully thwarted the attack and intercepted the Iranian missiles,” condemning the strikes and noting that further details would be released by the Ministry of Defense.

A US defense official also confirmed to Business Insider that Iran attacked with ballistic missiles. Iranian state media said Tehran launched the same number of missiles as the number of bunker-busting bombs the US used against its nuclear facilities in a strike on Saturday, and called the strikes “a mighty and successful response by the armed forces of Iran to America’s aggression.”

US-provided Patriot systems have seen major use recently in Ukraine. US Army photo by Sgt. Alexandra Shea

Qatar, a US ally, hosts a number of American-made M1M-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile systems, which are manufactured by Raytheon, a segment of RTX, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing. Patriots and their interceptors and radars are designed to destroy aircraft at ranges beyond 70 miles, with a shorter range for fast-moving ballistic missiles. Qatar first bought 10 Patriots in 2014, at the time becoming the 13th country to operate the system.

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Open-source accounts online shared footage of air defenses firing against targets on Monday, the flames of their rocket motors seen as moving lights in the sky. Some commented that Patriots were likely used to shoot down the missiles.

Qatar also hosts National Advanced Surface to Air Missile Systems and missiles, which are designed for targets up to 20 miles away. NASAMS are designed by the Norwegian defense company Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace and also manufactured by Raytheon. In 2018, Qatar bought more missiles for its NASAMS, as well as support and logistics equipment and services. NASAMS can protect from missiles as well as uncrewed aerial vehicles and drones.

Other surface-to-air missile defense systems operated by Qatar include Rapier, a British short-range capability, and the Roland, a joint French- and German-made short-range missile.

The US sent a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system to Israel last fall to help counter Iranian missile strikes. US Missile Defense Agency

Qatar is also acquiring Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, systems, which were part of a larger $42 billion deal with the US. THAAD, made by Lockheed, is designed to intercept ballistic missiles at ranges beyond 100 miles. THAAD targets the missiles during their terminal phase of flight.

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Prior to Monday’s attack, US President Donald Trump had warned Iran against retaliation towards the US, saying it would be met with more force than the initial strikes. After Monday’s attack, Trump called this a “very weak response, which we expected and have effectively countered,” on his Truth Social site. “I want to thank Iran for giving us early notice.”

US forces in the area have been on high alert over the weekend, Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Sunday, adding they “are fully postured to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks, which would be an incredibly poor choice.”

Al Udeid is the US’ largest military base in the region and is routinely used by all kinds of aircraft including B-52 strategic bombers, C-17 Globemaster transports, and B-1 supersonic bombers. Satellite imagery from last week showed the aircraft missing from the base after around 40 were spotted there earlier this month.

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Iran retaliated against the US after it bombed major nuclear facilities.

A top US general said America is ready to defend its forces in the Middle East.

The US has a large force presence, from warships to fighter jets, in and around the region.

Iran fired missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday after American forces, including stealth bomber aircraft and a guided-missile submarine, attacked three of its main nuclear facilities over the weekend.

How the US will respond remains to be seen. Nearly all of Iran’s 14 missiles were shot down, and there were no reports of casualties or wide-scale damage. President Donald Trump had warned Tehran on Saturday, however, that any retaliation would be met with more force than the initial strikes he ordered against Iran’s nuclear program.

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Trump on Monday described Iran’s retaliatory attack as a “very weak response,” and thanked Tehran for giving the US early warning. In a post on Truth Social, the president suggested that, “Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same.”

The US military currently has a large force presence in and around the Middle East that could be used for further offensive action or defense if Iran retaliates again.

At sea

A defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss force posture, told Business Insider on Monday that the US Navy has two carrier strike groups in the Arabian Sea.

This includes the aircraft carriers USS Carl Vinson and USS Nimitz, one cruiser, and five destroyers. Each carrier strike group carries an embarked air wing consisting of dozens of fighter jets, surveillance aircraft, and helicopters.

The Vinson and Nimitz are each equipped with dozens of aircraft in their respective carrier air wings. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Pablo Chavez

The Vinson is one of just a few US carriers with advanced, fifth-generation F-35 stealth fighter jets in its air wing. These advanced aircraft are specially designed for the Navy so they can take off from and land on the carrier.

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The official said two destroyers are in the Red Sea and five more are in the nearby eastern Mediterranean Sea. The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford could eventually join them. Its strike group is leaving Virginia on Tuesday for a regularly scheduled deployment to Europe, but it is available to be retasked.

As of Saturday, a guided-missile submarine was at an undisclosed location in the Middle East. It participated in the strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. The official declined to say if it was still there.

On land

The US has around 40,000 troops stationed throughout the Middle East, serving at major military installations in countries such as Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.

Since the airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear program, there have been concerns that Iran may choose to target US bases or military outposts. After a US drone strike eliminated Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020, Tehran retaliated against the US by launching missiles at American forces in Iraq.

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Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the US had elevated force protection measures across the Middle East before the weekend strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, especially in Iraq, Syria, and in the Gulf states.

The US has ground-based missile defenses, like its Patriot and THAAD systems, stationed in the region. US Army photo by Sgt. Steve Asfall

“Our forces remain on high alert and are fully postured to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks, which would be an incredibly poor choice,” Caine told reporters on Sunday.

He said the US will defend itself, adding that “the safety of our service members and civilians remains our highest priority.”

The US military has multiple MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile batteries and at least one Terminal High Altitude Area Defense — or THAAD — system in the Middle East. These can be used to intercept Iranian ballistic missiles. In the attack on Al Udeid, Qatari air defenses shield the American base.

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A US official told BI last week that the US military has provided both land- and sea-based air defense for Israel since the country started its strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities on June 13. It’s unclear how many Iranian retaliatory missiles American forces have intercepted, but these capabilities are present.

In the air

The US Air Force has a range of aircraft in the Middle East, including fourth- and fifth-generation fighter jets, strike drones, and refueling tankers.

After Israel began its bombing campaign earlier this month, but prior to the US joining over the weekend, Reuters reported that additional F-16, F-22, and F-35 fighter jets had deployed to American bases. A-10 attack aircraft and F-15s are also in the region.

The US Air Force has a range of planes in the region, including F-16s. US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jackson Manske

The Pentagon declined to provide a rundown of the aircraft in the region, and US Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, did not immediately respond to BI’s request for clarity on US assets in the region.

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US fighter aircraft could shoot down Iranian attack drones launched in retaliation, as they did in April 2024 in defense of Israel. They are also capable of intercepting cruise missiles with air-to-air munitions. These platforms can also conduct offensive strikes.

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In a stark escalation of the Israel-Iran conflict, Iran’s revolutionary guard corps (IRGC) said that it used its Kheybar Shekan ballistic missile against Israel for the first time.

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The Kheybar Shekan, a solid-fueled, long-range missile unveiled just two years ago, was among 40 ballistic missiles launched by Iran in the latest offensive aimed at Israel’s northern and central regions, according to Iranian state media. The barrage comes hours after the United States bombed Iran’s three most critical nuclear facilities, drawing direct American involvement into the conflict.

Missiles over Haifa and Tel Aviv

The Israeli military confirmed that at least 10 sites were struck by the Iranian assault, prompting air-raid sirens across Tel Aviv, Haifa, and other central cities.

The northern port city of Haifa reported at least 31 injuries, several of them serious, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Israel’s Iron Dome ‘BURNS’: Iran’s Indigenous ‘Death Drones’ Smash IDF’s Final Air Shield | Watch

Israel’s Iron Dome and other missile defence systems intercepted multiple incoming warheads, but officials warned that Iran’s new generation of missiles, including the Kheybar Shekan, pose a significant challenge due to their manoeuvrability and long range.

What is the Kheybar Shekan missile?

The Kheybar Shekan is part of the third generation of ballistic missiles developed by the IRGC Aerospace Force, first unveiled in 2022.

It is considered a significant leap in Iran’s indigenous missile technology.

Key specs:

Type: Surface-to-surface ballistic missile

Surface-to-surface ballistic missile Fuel: Solid fuel (allows for quicker deployment)

Solid fuel (allows for quicker deployment) Range: Over 1,450 kilometres

Over 1,450 kilometres Mobility: Can be launched from camouflaged, road-mobile platforms

Can be launched from camouflaged, road-mobile platforms Evasion Capabilities: Designed to penetrate advanced air-defence systems

Designed to penetrate advanced air-defence systems Manoeuvrability: High in-flight manoeuvring makes interception difficult

The missile’s high mobility and quick-launch capability, mounted on a 10-wheel civilian-style chassis, make it hard to detect and track before launch, adding another layer of complexity for Israel and US forces operating in the region.

Retaliation after US strikes

The launch came just hours after US B-2 stealth bombers and Tomahawk cruise missiles struck Iran’s Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear facilities, deploying the 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs designed to hit fortified underground sites.

Rather than retreating, Tehran responded by escalating its missile campaign, signalling that American firepower has not blunted its appetite for retaliation — and that Israel remains well within reach of its arsenal.

A full-blown war between India and Pakistan would be the first ever between two nuclear-armed nations.

Pakistan said it struck multiple Indian military bases in the early hours of Saturday, May 10, after claiming that India had launched missiles against three Pakistani bases, marking a sharp escalation in their already soaring tensions, as the neighbours edge closer to an all-out war.

Long-simmering hostilities, mostly over the disputed region of Kashmir, erupted into renewed fighting after the deadly April 22 Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that saw 25 tourists and a local guide killed in an armed group attack. India blamed Pakistan for the attack; Islamabad denied any role.

Since then, the nations have engaged in a series of tit-for-tat moves that began with diplomatic steps but have rapidly turned into aerial military confrontation.

As both sides escalate shelling and missile attacks and seem on the road to a full-scale battle, an unprecedented reality stares not just at the 1.6 billion people of India and Pakistan but at the world: An all-out war between them would be the first ever between two nuclear-armed nations.

“It would be stupid for either side to launch a nuclear attack on the other … It is way short of probable that nuclear weapons are used, but that does not mean it’s impossible,” Dan Smith, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, told Al Jazeera.

So, how did we get here? What are the nuclear arsenals of India and Pakistan like? And when – according to them – might they use nuclear weapons?

How tensions have spiralled since April 22

India has long accused The Resistance Front (TRF) – the armed group that initially claimed credit for the Pahalgam attack, before then distancing itself from the killings – of being a proxy for the Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based armed group that has repeatedly targeted India, including in the 2008 Mumbai attacks that left more than 160 people dead.

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New Delhi blamed Islamabad for the Pahalgam attack. Pakistan denied any role.

India withdrew from a bilateral pact on water sharing, and both sides scaled back diplomatic missions and expelled each other’s citizens. Pakistan also threatened to walk out of other bilateral pacts, including the 1972 Simla Agreement that bound the neighbours to a ceasefire line in disputed Kashmir, known as the Line of Control (LoC).

But on May 7, India launched a wave of missile attacks against sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. It claimed it hit “terrorist infrastructure”, but Pakistan says at least 31 civilians, including two children, were killed.

On May 8, India launched drones into Pakistani airspace, reaching the country’s major cities. India claimed it was retaliating, and that Pakistan had fired missiles and drones at it. Then, for two nights in a row, cities in India and Indian-administered Kashmir reported explosions that New Delhi claimed were the result of attempted Pakistani attacks that were thwarted.

Pakistan denied sending missiles and drones into India on May 8 and May 9 – but that changed in the early hours of May 10, when Pakistan first claimed that India targeted three of its bases with missiles. Soon after, Pakistan claimed it struck at least seven Indian bases. India has not yet responded either to Pakistan’s claims that Indian bases were hit or to Islamabad’s allegation that New Delhi launched missiles at its military installations.

How many nuclear warheads do India and Pakistan have?

India first conducted nuclear tests in May 1974 before subsequent tests in May 1998, after which it declared itself a nuclear weapons state. Within days, Pakistan launched a series of six nuclear tests and officially became a nuclear-armed state, too.

Each side has since raced to build arms and nuclear stockpiles bigger than the other, a project that has cost them billions of dollars.

India is currently estimated to have more than 180 nuclear warheads. It has developed longer-range missiles and mobile land-based missiles capable of delivering them, and is working with Russia to build ship and submarine missiles, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Pakistan’s arsenal, meanwhile, consists of more than 170 warheads. The country enjoys technological support from its regional ally, China, and its stockpile includes primarily mobile short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, with enough range to hit just inside India.

What’s India’s nuclear policy?

India’s interest in nuclear power was initially sparked and expanded under its first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who was eager to use it to boost energy generation. However, in recent decades, the country has solidified its nuclear power status to deter its neighbours, China and Pakistan, over territorial disputes.

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New Delhi’s first and only nuclear doctrine was published in 2003 and has not been formally revised. The architect of that doctrine, the late strategic analyst K Subrahmanyam, was the father of India’s current foreign minister, S Jaishankar.

Only the prime minister, as head of the political council of the Nuclear Command Authority, can authorise a nuclear strike. India’s nuclear doctrine is built around four principles:

No First Use (NFU) : This principle means that India will not be the first to launch nuclear attacks on its enemies. It will only retaliate with nuclear weapons if it is first hit in a nuclear attack. India’s doctrine says it can launch retaliation against attacks committed on Indian soil or if nuclear weapons are used against its forces on foreign territory. India also commits to not using nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states.

: This principle means that India will not be the first to launch nuclear attacks on its enemies. It will only retaliate with nuclear weapons if it is first hit in a nuclear attack. India’s doctrine says it can launch retaliation against attacks committed on Indian soil or if nuclear weapons are used against its forces on foreign territory. India also commits to not using nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states. Credible Minimum Deterrence : India’s nuclear posture is centred around deterrence – that is, its nuclear arsenal is meant primarily to discourage other countries from launching a nuclear attack on the country. India maintains that its nuclear arsenal is insurance against such attacks. It’s one of the reasons why New Delhi is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), as it maintains that all countries uniformly disarm before it does the same.

: India’s nuclear posture is centred around deterrence – that is, its nuclear arsenal is meant primarily to discourage other countries from launching a nuclear attack on the country. India maintains that its nuclear arsenal is insurance against such attacks. It’s one of the reasons why New Delhi is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), as it maintains that all countries uniformly disarm before it does the same. Massive Retaliation: India’s retaliation to a first-strike from an aggressor will be calculated to inflict such destruction and damage that the enemy’s military capabilities will be annihilated.

India’s retaliation to a first-strike from an aggressor will be calculated to inflict such destruction and damage that the enemy’s military capabilities will be annihilated. Exceptions for biological or chemical weapons: As an exception to NFU, India will use nuclear weapons against any state that targets the country or its military forces abroad with biological or chemical weapons, according to the doctrine.

What is Pakistan’s nuclear policy?

Strategic Ambiguity: Pakistan has never officially released a comprehensive policy statement on its nuclear weapons use, giving it the flexibility to potentially deploy nuclear weapons at any stage of a conflict, as it has threatened to do in the past. Experts widely believe that from the outset, Islamabad’s non-transparency was strategic and meant to act as a deterrence to India’s superior conventional military strength, rather than to India’s nuclear power alone.

Pakistan has never officially released a comprehensive policy statement on its nuclear weapons use, giving it the flexibility to potentially deploy nuclear weapons at any stage of a conflict, as it has threatened to do in the past. Experts widely believe that from the outset, Islamabad’s non-transparency was strategic and meant to act as a deterrence to India’s superior conventional military strength, rather than to India’s nuclear power alone. The Four Triggers: However, in 2001, Lieutenant General (Retd) Khalid Ahmed Kidwai, regarded as a pivotal strategist involved in Pakistan’s nuclear policy, and an adviser to the nuclear command agency, laid out four broad “red lines” or triggers that could result in a nuclear weapon deployment. They are:

Spatial threshold – Any loss of large parts of Pakistani territory could warrant a response. This also forms the root of its conflict with India.

Military threshold – Destruction or targeting of a large number of its air or land forces could be a trigger.

Economic threshold – Actions by aggressors that might have a choking effect on Pakistan’s economy.

Political threshold – Actions that lead to political destabilisation or large-scale internal disharmony.

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However, Pakistan has never spelled out just how large the loss of territory of its armed forces needs to be for these triggers to be set off.

Has India’s nuclear posture changed?

Although India’s official doctrine has remained the same, Indian politicians have in recent years implied that a more ambiguous posture regarding the No First Use policy might be in the works, presumably to match Pakistan’s stance.

In 2016, India’s then-Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar questioned if India needed to continue binding itself to NFU. In 2019, the present Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that India had so far strictly adhered to the NFU policy, but that changing situations could affect that.

“What happens in the future depends on the circumstances,” Singh had said.

India adopting this strategy might be seen as proportional, but some experts note that strategic ambiguity is a double-edged sword.

“The lack of knowledge of an adversary’s red lines could lead to lines inadvertently being crossed, but it could also restrain a country from engaging in actions that may trigger a nuclear response,” expert Lora Saalman notes in a commentary for the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Has Pakistan’s nuclear posture changed?

Pakistan has moved from an ambiguous policy of not spelling out a doctrine to a more vocal “No NFU” policy in recent years.

In May 2024, Kidwai, the nuclear command agency adviser, said during a seminar that Islamabad “does not have a No First Use policy”.

As significantly, Pakistan has, since 2011, developed a series of so-called tactical nuclear weapons. TNWs are short-range nuclear weapons designed for more contained strikes and are meant to be used on the battlefield against an opposing army without causing widespread destruction.

In 2015, then-Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry confirmed that TNWs could be used in a potential future conflict with India.

In reality, however, experts warn that these warheads, too, can have explosive yields of up to 300 kilotonnes, or 20 times that of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima. Not only could such explosions be disastrous, but some experts say that they might well affect Pakistan’s own border populations.

Republicans made one last round of revisions before the bill reached the House floor, boosting the state and local tax deduction to win over centrists and speeding up the work requirements in Medicaid to win over those who didn’t believe the bill did enough to curb spending.

House committees labored for months on the bill, which underwent late changes to win over holdouts in the Republican conference. It exceeds 1,000 pages and is titled the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” a nod to Trump himself.

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans early Thursday took a major step forward on President Donald Trump’s agenda, approving a legislative package that combines tax breaks, spending cuts, border security funding and other priorities.

Here’s a look at what’s in the legislative package, which is expected to undergo more changes when it goes to the Senate.

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Tax cuts for individuals and businesses

Republicans look to make permanent the individual income and estate tax cuts passed in Trump’s first term, in 2017, plus enact promises he made on the 2024 campaign trail to not tax tips, overtime and interest on some auto loans.

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To partially offset the lost revenue, Republicans propose repealing or phasing out more quickly the clean energy tax credits passed during Joe Biden’s presidency, helping to bring down the overall cost of the tax portion to about $3.8 trillion.

The bill includes a temporary boost in the standard deduction — a $1,000 increase for individuals, bringing it to $16,000 for individual filers, and a $2,000 boost for joint filers, bringing it to $32,000. The deduction reduces the amount of income that is actually subject to income tax.

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There is also a temporary $500 increase in the child tax credit, bringing it to $2,500 for 2025 through 2028. It then returns to $2,000 and will increase to account for inflation.

The estate tax exemption rises to $15 million and is adjusted for inflation going forward.

One of the thorniest issues in negotiations had been how much to raise the state and local tax deduction, now capped at $10,000. That’s been a priority of New York lawmakers. The bill increases the “SALT” cap to $40,000 for incomes up to $500,000, with the cap phasing downward for those with higher incomes. Also, the cap and income threshold will increase 1% annually over 10 years.

Several of the provisions Trump promised in the campaign would be temporary, lasting roughly through his term in office. The tax breaks for tips, overtime and car loan interest expire at the end of 2028. That’s also the case for a $4,000 increase in the standard deduction for seniors.

Among the various business tax provisions, small businesses, including partnerships and S corporations, will be able to subtract 23% of their qualified business income from their taxes. The deduction has been 20%

Businesses will temporarily be allowed to fully expense domestic research and development costs in the year they occur and the cost of machinery, equipment and other qualifying assets. This encourages businesses to invest in ways that enhances their productivity.

Parents and older Americans face work requirements for food assistance

House Republicans would reduce spending on food aid, what is known as the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program, by about $267 billion over 10 years.

States would shoulder 5% of benefit costs, beginning in fiscal 2028, and 75% of the administrative costs. Currently, states pay none of the benefit and half of the administration costs.

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Republicans also are expanding the work requirements to receive food aid. Under current law, able-bodied adults without dependents must fulfill work requirements until they are 54, and that would change under the bill to age 64.

Also, some parents are currently exempt from work requirements until their children are 18; that would change so only those caring for a dependent child under the age of 7 are exempt.

And new work requirements for Medicaid

A focal point of the package is nearly $700 billion in reduced spending in the Medicaid program, according to CBO.

To be eligible for Medicaid, there would be new “community engagement requirements” of at least 80 hours per month of work, education or service for able-bodied adults without dependents. The new requirements would begin on Dec. 31, 2026. People would also have to verify their eligibility for the program twice a year, rather than just once.

Republicans are looking to generate savings with new work requirements. But Democrats warn that millions of Americans will lose coverage.

A preliminary estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the proposals would reduce the number of people with health care by 8.6 million over the decade.

No taxes on gun silencers, no money for Planned Parenthood and more

Republicans are also using the package to reward allies and disadvantage political foes.

The package would eliminate a $200 tax on gun silencers that has existed since Congress passed the National Firearms Act in 1934. The elimination of the tax is supported by the NRA.

The group Giffords, which works to reduce gun violence, said silencers make it more difficult to recognize the sound of gunfire and locate the source of gunshots, impairing the ability of law enforcement to respond to active shooters.

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Republicans are also looking to prohibit Medicaid funds from going to Planned Parenthood, which provides abortion care. Democrats say defunding the organization would make it harder for millions of patients to get cancer screenings, pap tests and birth control.

‘Trump’ kids $1,000 savings accounts

The bill originally called for “MAGA” accounts, shorthand for Trump’s signature line, “Make America Great Again.” But in a last-minute revision, the bill changed the name to “Trump” accounts.

For parents or guardians who open new “Trump” accounts for their children, the federal government will contribute $1,000 for babies born between Jan. 1, 2024 and Dec. 31, 2028.

Families could add $5,000 a year, with the account holders unable to take distributions before age 18. Then, they could access up to 50% of the money to pay for higher education, training and first-time home purchases. At age 30, account holders have access to the full balance of the account for any purpose.

Funding for Trump’s mass deportation operation

The legislation would provide $46.5 billion to revive construction of Trump’s wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and more money for the deportation agenda.

There’s $4 billion to hire an additional 3,000 new Border Patrol agents as well as 5,000 new customs officers, and $2.1 billion for signing and retention bonuses. There’s also funds for 10,000 more Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and investigators.

It includes major changes to immigration policy, imposing a $1,000 fee on migrants seeking asylum — something the nation has never done, putting it on par with few others, including Australia and Iran.

Overall, the plan is to remove 1 million immigrants annually and house 100,000 people in detention centers.

More money for the Pentagon and Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’

There’s also nearly with $150 billion in new money for the Defense Department and national security.

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It would provide $25 billion for Trump’s “Golden Dome for America,” a long-envisioned missile defense shield, $21 billion to restock the nation’s ammunition arsenal, $34 billion to expand the naval fleet with more shipbuilding and some $5 billion for border security.

It also includes $9 billion for servicemember quality of life-related issues, including housing, health care and special pay.

Tax on university endowments and overhaul of student loans

A wholesale revamping of the student loan program is key to the legislation, providing $330 billion in budget cuts and savings.

The proposal would replace all existing student loan repayment plans with just two: a standard option with monthly payments spread out over 10 to 25 years and a “repayment assistance” plan that is generally less generous than those it would replace.

Among other changes, the bill would repeal Biden-era regulations that made it easier for borrowers to get loans canceled if their colleges defrauded them or closed suddenly.

There would be a tax increase, up to 21%, on some university endowments.

More drilling, mining on public lands

To generate revenue, one section would allow increased leasing of public lands for drilling, mining and logging while clearing the path for more development by speeding up government approvals.

Royalty rates paid by companies to extract oil, gas and coal would be cut, reversing Biden’s attempts to curb fossil fuels to help address climate change.

Associated Press writers Collin Binkley and Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington and Matthew Brown in Billings, Montana, contributed to this report.