Tipsheet

U.S. House Approves $900B National Defense Authorization Act

Scott McClallen
Scott McClallen  |  December 10, 2025 6:24 PM

The U.S House on Wednesday approved the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on a vote of 312-112. 

The bill, if approved by the U.S. Senate, would authorize about $900 billion in defense spending, including a 3.8 percent pay raise for service members for the next fiscal year.  

The NDAA is annual legislation that authorizes the policies and funding levels for the Department of Defense and other national security entities. 

The spending bill aims to codify 15 executive orders issued by President Donald Trump, according to a 30-page summary. The bill is over 3,000 pages long.

Congressman David Valadao (R-CA) voted for the bill. The NDAA authorizes funding for all discretionary military programs and activities, including personnel, operations, maintenance, procurement, research, and development. It also outlines critical policies and directives for the Department of Defense.

“Today, I was proud to vote to ensure our military has the resources needed to keep Americans safe while delivering meaningful quality-of-life improvements for our servicemembers and their families,” Valadao said in a statement. “The FY26 NDAA provides a well-deserved pay raise for our troops and improves housing, education, and access to childcare for military families. It also ensures the Department of Defense is prepared to confront growing global threats, promotes the development of new and innovative defense technologies, and deepens partnerships with our allies in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East. I’m especially proud that key provisions of my SECURE IT Act were included to help bolster confidence in our elections by requiring voting systems to undergo simulated cyberattacks to identify vulnerabilities. For over 60 years, the NDAA has been a bipartisan commitment to our national defense, and I’m glad to see the House and Senate once again came together to get this critical legislation over the finish line.”

Among other provisions, the FY26 NDAA:

  • Improves housing, education, and access to childcare for military families.
  • Authorizes over $355 million to renovate military hospitals and build new medical facilities to expand access to healthcare.
  • Enhances U.S. defense initiatives in the Indo-Pacific to support Indo-Pacific allies and counter China’s growing reach.
  • Strengthens U.S.-Israel military operations and cooperative missile defense programs.
  • Enhances America’s nuclear deterrent and new nuclear power technologies.
  • Accelerates the development and delivery of space capabilities to counter Chinese and Russian nuclear arsenals and space surveillance. 
  • Revitalize American shipbuilding
  • Strengthening Election Cybersecurity to Uphold Respect for Elections through Independent Testing (SECURE IT) Act

Congressman Morgan Luttrell, R-TX, welcomed the bill's passage. 

“This year’s NDAA reaffirms America’s commitment to peace through strength while delivering critical support for our servicemembers and veterans. The legislation authorizes vital funding for TBI research and advances our hypersonic capabilities. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am proud to see this bipartisan bill’s final passage in the House.” 

Luttrell secured more than 40 provisions in the NDAA, including measures to enhance cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and emerging technology tools for the DoD. Authorizes funding for research and clinical trials for TBI treatments. Several provisions support the training, health, and well-being of our service members—Greenlights funding for increased hypersonic development. 

The bill received support from both parties and the White House.

The bill moves to the U.S. Senate.