House Approves 2026 NDAA

The House on Wednesday approved this year’s National Defense Authorization Act INDAA), moving a sprawling defense-policy package to the Senate. Lawmakers backed the measure by wide margins, voting to authorize roughly $900 billion for defense programs and to lock in new security steps for allies.

Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL3), the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, formally introduced the bill in the House on June 9th of this year.

The 3,086 page bill, H.R.3838, is the annual NDAA for fiscal year 2026 and blends long-standing Pentagon priorities with new provisions tied to current conflicts. It passed the House after weeks of bargaining over pay, procurement fixes and hot-button social items. Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said on the floor that he supported the bill even while raising concerns about parts of it: “I do support this bill. This does not mean that I do not have concerns. I do.”

Members of both parties, as is typical, called the NDAA a must-pass measure that sets policy and authorizes programs. The measure now goes to the Senate, where leaders expect it to be acted upon ahead of the holiday recess. President Trump has said he plans to sign the final bill once both chambers agree.

For lawmakers focused on the Middle East, the package includes a slate of targeted tools meant to deepen U.S. military ties with Israel and shore up its defenses. The House text and reporting show the bill authorizes hundreds of millions for U.S.-Israel cooperation, expands stockpile authorities for the region and requires Pentagon briefings on equipment transfers. Supporters say the steps will help Israel counter missiles, drones and tunnels as well as boost joint work on emerging technologies.

At the same time, the NDAA preserves aid to other allies and high-profile security programs. The final package includes continuing support for Ukraine, an increase in service-member pay and multiple procurement reforms aimed at speeding weapons buys and strengthening the industrial base.

Key provisions (bulleted list)

• Authorization of roughly $900 billion in defense policy for FY2026, continuing the NDAA’s annual role in shaping defense programs.
• $500 million in missile-defense cooperation for Israel, including purchase and joint work on systems like Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow, plus funding for anti-tunnel and counter-drone programs.
• Continued and authorized military assistance for Ukraine, roughly $400 million per year under this text for the next two years (authorization; appropriations come separately).
• A service pay raise and quality-of-life measures—the bill includes a roughly 4% increase in military pay and funding aimed at improving housing and child care.
• New authorities and oversight steps: a U.S.-Israel defense innovation field office, expanded war-reserve stockpile authority for the region through 2029, and Pentagon reporting requirements on equipment transfers.
• Policy moves on multilateral forums and deployment rules, including direction to work with allies on limiting enforcement of ICC warrants against U.S. or allied personnel and limits on Defense Department participation in events that exclude Israeli firms.
• Procurement and industrial-base reforms intended to streamline weapons buys and boost U.S. defense manufacturing.

The NDAA combines familiar priorities with politically charged choices. Some conservative lawmakers pressed to cut or reshape diversity and inclusion programs. Other members wanted broader benefits for service families, such as fertility-care coverage, which did not survive the final package. Lawmakers framed those fights as part of a larger debate over culture, readiness and how the Defense Department spends its money.

Moving forward: the House passage sends the bill to the Senate for tweaks, then a vote. If the two chambers agree on a final text, the President has signaled he will approve it. Even after his signature, most dollars authorized in the NDAA still require separate appropriations action to be spent.

More information on the NDAA is available at THIS LINK, and a draft of the bill itself is HERE.