The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), advancing the annually required Pentagon budget and policy framework to the Senate for further consideration. The chamber approved the bill in a 312–112 vote, reflecting a broad though not unanimous bipartisan consensus. Eighteen Republicans and ninety-four Democrats opposed the measure, even as the final package authorizes an estimated $901 billion in total War Department spending for the coming fiscal year. Passage of the NDAA is traditionally seen as one of Congress’s most important responsibilities, guiding everything from troop levels and compensation to weapons procurement, military construction, and national security policy directives. This year’s bill carries unusually high political weight due to ongoing global tensions, including conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, rising strategic competition with China, and debates within the United States over the proper scope of military engagement abroad. The vote capped a tumultuous day, as earlier procedural hurdles nearly derailed the bill’s progress. A key rule vote—necessary to allow debate and move the NDAA to a final vote—squeaked through by a razor-thin 215–211 margin after four Republican lawmakers initially opposed to the measure abruptly switched their votes to “yes.” The lawmakers—Reps. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, and Lauren Boebert of Colorado—had indicated strong reservations, particularly regarding foreign aid and the bill’s failure to include certain conservative policy priorities. Their shift came in the final moments before the vote closed, a move that underscored both the fragile nature of the House Republican majority and the intense negotiations surrounding this year’s defense legislation. All Democrats opposed the procedural vote, citing objections to a number of policy riders and the overall direction of the bill. Despite these disagreements, House and Senate leaders had already reconciled separate versions of the NDAA into a single bipartisan compromise, a strategic move that increases the likelihood of a smoother path through the Senate and toward President Donald Trump’s desk for signature.
Republican hardliners, particularly within the House Freedom Caucus and similar factions, railed against the bill for several key reasons. Chief among them was the continued allocation of U.S. funds to support Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia. The NDAA sets aside $400 million per year for the next two years to bolster Ukraine’s defensive capabilities, a provision that opponents argue constitutes an open-ended commitment without sufficient oversight. These lawmakers contend that the United States has already spent tens of billions of dollars supporting Ukraine and that further appropriations should be handled separately rather than embedded within an annual national defense package. Their objections reflect a broader ideological divide within the Republican Party between traditional national-security hawks and an increasingly influential populist wing skeptical of extended U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts. Another major sticking point for conservatives was the omission of language that would explicitly prohibit the Federal Reserve from creating a central bank digital currency (CBDC). Supporters of such a ban argue that a government-issued digital dollar could enable intrusive federal monitoring of private financial activity, potentially paving the way for unprecedented surveillance of Americans’ everyday transactions. They frame the prohibition as a necessary safeguard for civil liberties, citing concerns about financial control mechanisms implemented by authoritarian governments abroad. The final NDAA, however, excluded the CBDC restriction—prompting frustration from those who see the issue as central to the debate over privacy, government power, and the future of digital finance. In addition, conservatives objected to provisions restricting President Trump’s authority to reduce troop levels in Europe and South Korea or to pause weapon shipments to Ukraine. Such limits are seen by critics as infringements on executive authority and as attempts by congressional leaders to constrain Trump’s ability to pursue the foreign-policy recalibration he campaigned on. The bill further includes an unusual accountability measure: withholding a quarter of War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget until the Pentagon releases raw footage of strikes conducted against alleged narco-trafficking vessels near Venezuela. Supporters say this requirement ensures transparency regarding military operations carried out in the Western Hemisphere, while opponents consider it a politically motivated insertion into the bill.
Speaker Mike Johnson and other House Republican leaders highlighted a series of provisions they believe will resonate strongly with conservative voters and help refocus the Defense Department on core military priorities. Among the most significant is a 4 percent pay raise for enlisted service members, marking an effort to address persistent recruitment challenges and retention problems across the armed forces. This pay increase follows years of warning from defense officials and outside experts that military compensation has not kept pace with inflation or with opportunities in the civilian workforce. The NDAA also eliminates diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs within the Pentagon, continuing a broader partisan clash over such initiatives across government agencies. Supporters argue that DEI policies create unnecessary bureaucracy and ideological training requirements that distract from military readiness. Critics, however, warn that removing these programs may undermine efforts to address discrimination, harassment, and structural barriers within the ranks. The legislation also includes measures intended to address rising concerns about antisemitism, particularly in light of domestic controversies linked to university protests and global tensions surrounding the Israel–Hamas conflict. Johnson further emphasized the bill’s elimination of approximately $20 billion worth of outdated programs and redundant bureaucratic functions within the Pentagon—an effort to project fiscal responsibility at a time when overall spending remains historically high. Additionally, the NDAA includes a suite of measures designed to counter China’s expanding military, economic, and technological influence. These efforts align with long-standing bipartisan recognition that China represents the United States’ primary strategic competitor. The package reflects a shift in priorities that both parties have increasingly embraced, redirecting resources and diplomatic focus toward containing Beijing’s ambitions and strengthening U.S. leadership in Asia and beyond.
Beyond its military provisions, the NDAA contains several notable non-defense sections that have drawn significant political attention. One such measure, backed by conservative privacy advocates including House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, requires the FBI to disclose when it opens investigations into presidential candidates or other federal candidates for office. Proponents view this as a necessary check on potential political bias within federal law enforcement, citing controversies from recent election cycles in which investigative actions became highly politicized. Opponents warn that such disclosure requirements could compromise sensitive investigative work or inadvertently influence electoral outcomes. The bill notably excludes coverage for in vitro fertilization (IVF) for military families, despite recent debate and pressure from lawmakers across the political spectrum following high-profile court rulings on reproductive technology. Advocates for IVF coverage argue that the procedure is essential for many service members and their spouses who face fertility challenges, whereas critics contend that expanding coverage could create complex legal and ethical questions. The NDAA also omits a proposed provision that would preempt states from regulating artificial intelligence, a topic that has gained national prominence as AI technology rapidly evolves. Many state governments have been proposing or passing their own regulatory frameworks, and a federal preemption clause would have dramatically shifted regulatory authority to Washington. Its exclusion leaves the patchwork of state and federal AI guidelines intact. These policy decisions underscore how the NDAA has become a vehicle for a wide array of legislative priorities—not only those related to defense but also to civil liberties, technology, elections, and societal issues.
One of the most consequential components of the bill is the establishment of an outbound investment screening system aimed primarily at curbing the flow of U.S. capital into China’s most sensitive high-technology sectors. Under the new framework, U.S. companies and investors must notify the Treasury Department when engaging in transactions involving high-risk technologies in China or in other designated “countries of concern.” These technologies include artificial intelligence, quantum computing, advanced semiconductors, and other areas deemed vital to national security. Treasury would have the authority to block investments it considers dangerous or to require companies to provide detailed annual reports to Congress. This marks a significant expansion of U.S. oversight over corporate investment behavior and reflects Washington’s growing concern that American firms may inadvertently strengthen China’s military and technological capabilities. Another major provision bans the Pentagon from buying equipment from Chinese genetic sequencing firms, biotechnology companies, and manufacturers of advanced batteries, photovoltaic components, computer displays, and certain critical minerals. Lawmakers argue that reliance on such Chinese-origin products poses an unacceptable security risk, especially in areas where supply chains are deeply intertwined with Beijing’s industrial policies. Supporters of the ban contend that China has used commercial sectors—including biotech and green-energy technologies—to build economic leverage and gather sensitive data. In response, Congress seeks to shift procurement toward domestic suppliers or those in allied nations. In the diplomatic arena, the NDAA directs the State Department to deploy new “Regional China Officers” to embassies and diplomatic posts around the world. These officials will monitor China’s global commercial, technological, and infrastructure projects—most notably Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, which has extended China’s influence across Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. The bill also mandates comprehensive biennial reports comparing the scope and intensity of China’s global diplomatic operations to those of the United States, giving lawmakers a clearer picture of the competition for influence.
The NDAA concludes with a series of legal and historical updates, including the repeal of two long-dormant war authorizations from 1992 and 2002 that pertain to earlier U.S. military operations in Iraq. The repeal reflects bipartisan support for reducing outdated authorizations that no longer serve an operational purpose, though some lawmakers emphasize that the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF)—the broad legal foundation for U.S. counterterrorism operations worldwide—remains intact. Critics of maintaining the 2001 AUMF argue that it has been stretched far beyond its original intent since the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, enabling military actions in numerous countries without updated congressional approval. Supporters counter that threats from terrorist networks and affiliated groups continue to evolve and that the AUMF provides essential flexibility to commanders and policymakers. The overall NDAA thus represents a sweeping blend of traditional defense priorities, modern geopolitical strategy, and domestic political disputes. Its path through Congress illustrates both persistent bipartisan agreement on maintaining U.S. military readiness and deep ideological divides over foreign aid, civil liberties, federal authority, and America’s role in the world. As the bill heads to the Senate, most lawmakers expect it to pass with relatively few changes, given the prior bicameral negotiations that shaped the final version. Once it reaches President Trump’s desk, the NDAA will set the parameters for U.S. defense policy in an era defined by great-power rivalry, emerging technologies, and political battles at home. The legislation’s mix of funding decisions, policy restrictions, and strategic initiatives ensures that its impact will be felt not only within the military but across America’s economic, diplomatic, and technological landscape.
