An oft-retailed narrative about congressional Republicans is that they have grown isolationist over the last decade, aligning themselves with President Trump’s general aversion to international commitments. We are told the party has all but abandoned Ronald Reagan’s brand of conservative internationalism, opting instead for restraint and retrenchment. Last week, Republicans in the House of Representatives demonstrated that their party’s supposed transformation on foreign policy has been overblown — much to the disappointment of those members who despise the use of American power.

While advancing the 2026 U.S. defense budget, House leadership allowed the chamber to vote on several amendments, introduced by ...