The U.S. Senate voted 77–20 on Wednesday to pass the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, a $901 billion defense policy bill that now heads to the White House for President Trump to sign into law.
The measure reconciles House and Senate versions approved earlier this year and authorizes a record level of military spending, including a 4 percent pay raise for service members. It also approves changes to the military acquisition system and outlines initiatives aimed at “strengthening U.S. competitiveness” against China and Russia.
The House cleared the bill last week by a 312–112 vote, giving the legislation broad bipartisan support in both chambers. Republican Sens. Mike Lee and Rand Paul were among those voting against the bill in the Senate.
The NDAA includes multiple Europe-focused security provisions, authorizing $800 million for Ukraine through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, split evenly over the next two years, and $175 million for the Baltic Security Initiative to support Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. It restricts the Department of War from reducing U.S. troop levels in Europe below 76,000 and prevents the U.S. European Commander from relinquishing the role of NATO Supreme Commander.
The bill’s total cost exceeds President Trump’s request by $8 billion.
Other provisions repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force against Iraq, repeal the Caesar sanctions targeting Syria under former leader Bashar al-Assad, and withhold a portion of War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget unless Congress receives unedited footage of U.S. military strikes on drug trafficking vessels in the southern Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
The legislation also bars transgender women from competing in women’s athletic programs at U.S. military academies and codifies President Trump’s executive orders ending diversity, equity, and inclusion programs within the Pentagon.
