The Senate moved the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act forward on a broad bipartisan vote, clearing a key hurdle for what will likely be final passage later in the week. The roughly $901 billion package raises defense spending above the president’s request and bundles a long list of policy changes, from scrapping old war authorizations to new oversight requirements and contested safety rollbacks. Senators will hammer out amendments in the coming days, and the fight is shaping up around transparency, troop posture, and how Congress reasserts its authority over military action and foreign aid.
Republicans should be clear-eyed about what a strong NDAA means: credible funding for the men and women in uniform, modernizing equipment, and holding the Pentagon accountable. This package, like every NDAA, is must-pass and sets the tone for national security policy going into the new year. While the price tag is larger than the administration asked for, the core question for conservatives is whether the bill strengthens deterrence and reinforces congressional oversight.
One of the headline moves in this year’s bill is the repeal of the 1991 and 2002 authorizations for the use of military force, ending decades of loose authority that past presidents used to launch operations across the Middle East. Many Republicans welcome restoring Congress’s constitutional role in deciding when to commit troops to war. Eliminating those old AUMFs is a meaningful step toward requiring future presidents to secure clear, updated congressional authorization before engaging in major new hostilities.
Another hot button provision forces the Defense Department to turn over unedited footage of recent strikes on suspected drug boats, a direct reaction to concerns about how such operations were conducted. Conservatives who back robust law enforcement action at sea still expect transparency when operations risk civilian harm or questionable targeting. Requiring full footage is a straightforward accountability measure that answers lawmakers’ demands without hampering legitimate military planning in the long term.
The bill also includes language that touches the safety of Washington, D.C., airspace and has sparked bipartisan alarm. Senators on the Commerce Committee, including Republicans, are pushing amendments to strip out a provision they say bypassed the usual aviation clearances. Cruz said alongside family members of the victims of the crash, which killed 67, that the provision didn’t go through the ordinary clearances.”
“Normally, when you’re adding a provision to the NDAA that impacts aviation, you would request clearance from the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee,” Cruz said. “No clearance was requested. We discovered this provision when the final version of the bill dropped out of the House and it was passed.”
On Ukraine, the bill keeps firm support for Kyiv with an extension of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, authorizing roughly $400 million a year to buy weapons from U.S. defense firms. That commitment signals to allies and adversaries alike that the U.S. intends to remain a steady supplier of security assistance while ensuring American industry benefits from lawful arms sales. The measure also adds guardrails so assistance and intelligence support can’t be curtailed without notice to Congress and allies.
Specifically, the NDAA would require at least 48 hours’ notice if intelligence support to Ukraine is going to be cut, including the reasons, the expected duration, and the projected impact on Ukrainian operations. Republicans who prioritize a strong deterrent against Russian aggression should welcome those procedural protections, which prevent sudden, unexplained shifts that could undermine the battlefield. The bill also tightens reporting rules for all foreign aid flowing to Ukraine, giving Congress clearer visibility over how American resources are used.
There are other items scattered through the roughly 3,000-page package, including policy on troop levels overseas and constraints on Pentagon moves that some lawmakers view as politically motivated. With nearly 100 confirmations pending and a possible multi-bill funding push to stave off a shutdown, the NDAA acts as both a policy vehicle and a bargaining chip in year-end negotiations. For conservative senators, the task is to preserve a strong defense posture while demanding transparency and proper oversight from the executive branch.
