Washington, December 11, 2025: The United States House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a sweeping National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the 2026 fiscal year, authorising a record $901 billion in military spending. The tally saw 312 lawmakers in favour and 112 against, and the legislation has now moved to the Senate, where it is expected to pass next week.
The $901 billion allocation is $8 billion more than US President Donald Trump requested in May. The 3,086-page bill includes traditional NDAA provisions on defence acquisitions to maintain military competitiveness with global rivals such as China and Russia. It also addresses troop welfare, including an almost 4% pay rise and upgrades to military housing.
Lawmakers reinforced Washington’s commitment to European security in the face of Russian aggression. The bill provides $400 million in military assistance to Ukraine for each of the next two years. It also requires the Pentagon to maintain at least 76,000 troops and major equipment in Europe, unless consulted with NATO allies.
The NDAA also trims several programs opposed by President Trump, including $1.6 billion for initiatives focusing on diversity, equity, inclusion, and climate change. While the bill enjoys broad bipartisan support — having passed Congress every year since 1961 — this year’s process was contentious amid tensions between the Republican-controlled Congress and the Trump administration over military management.
The bill also includes provisions demanding greater transparency from the Department of Defense regarding deadly attacks on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. Lawmakers are seeking full disclosure of unedited strike videos and operational orders, and the NDAA threatens to withhold 25% of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel funding until compliance is met. At least 86 people have been killed in 22 known strikes since early September, which Trump has defended as counter-narcotics operations despite questions about legality.
Republican House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers defended the bill, stressing the need for a “ready, capable, and lethal fighting force” and highlighting the threats posed by China as “more complex and challenging than at any point in the last 40 years.”
Top Democrat Adam Smith acknowledged the bill as a step to reassert Congressional authority over the Pentagon but criticised what he called a lack of sufficient oversight of the Trump administration’s military operations.
“The biggest concern I have is that the Pentagon, being run by [Secretary Hegseth] and by President Trump, is simply not accountable to Congress or accountable to the law,” Smith said.
The NDAA now moves to the Senate, with leaders aiming for final passage before the holiday recess, after which it will be sent to President Trump for signing into law.
