US Congress has unveiled a $901 billion defense bill for 2026, including $400 million in military aid to Ukraine. The bill exceeds President Trump’s requested budget of $892.6 billion. It also authorizes a 4% pay raise for enlisted troops.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said the legislation would advance Trump’s agenda by ending “woke ideology” at the Pentagon, securing the border, and restoring the warrior ethos. The measure is a compromise between the House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act.
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The sweeping 3,000-page bill includes typical Pentagon programs such as military equipment purchases and competitiveness with rivals like China and Russia. It also focuses on repealing Trump-criticized programs and deploying troops to the southwest border. The legislation removes two authorizations for military action in Iraq from 1991 and 2002.
Although the NDAA authorizes programs, it does not fund them. Congress must pass a separate spending bill for fiscal year 2026. Some Democrats threatened to stall the bill over Trump’s domestic military deployments but later agreed to hearings on the issue.
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The NDAA is considered “must-pass” legislation and has been passed annually for more than six decades. This year’s process was unusually partisan, highlighting deep divisions between Republican and Democratic lawmakers.