As Congress comes back into full swing following the midterm elections, we find ourselves in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) season. Since last year’s record-high $778 billion budget, this year’s NDAA top line, authorized by the Senate Armed Services Committee, is coming in at an astounding $858 billion.

This number surpasses even Joe Biden’s original astronomical request of $813 billion. Prior to going on recess, the Senate proposed NDAA amendments adding up to $100 billion to the originally proposed budget. While these amendments vary in subject, they are united in their biggest beneficiaries. Military contractors like Boeing and General Dynamics will profit greatly from the approval of more military weapons purchases, finding an even larger market for their V-22 Osprey aircrafts, Abrams tanks, and Stryker vehicles. And as several members of Congress own significant stocks in these and other defense companies, they have a lot to gain from a bigger NDAA budget too.

Weapons industry money in politics takes many different forms, ranging from corporate campaign contributions to lucrative earmarks to pricey industry lobbyists. Arguably the most direct tie between political power and financial gain, though, is Congress members’ ability to hold and trade stock in industries they directly legislate over.