On December 11, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 2026 fiscal year National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with a total defense spending authorization of $906 billion. This legislation includes provisions such as a ban on purchasing supplies from Chinese companies, a 4% pay raise for military personnel, and the abolishment of the DEI program, which have garnered significant attention.
The bill has been sent to the Senate for consideration. As the leadership of both the House and Senate have merged their respective versions into a single negotiated version, it is expected that the Senate will smoothly complete the legislative process before the congressional Christmas recess and submit it to President Trump for signature.
According to a report by Fox News on Wednesday, the bill passed with a vote of 312 to 112. 18 Republican members and 94 Democratic members voted against it. In an earlier procedural vote, all Democratic members cast opposing votes, narrowly passing the procedural vote by a margin of 215 to 211.
Four Republican members who had initially voted against the bill – Anna Paulina Luna (Florida), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Georgia), Tim Burchett (Tennessee), and Lauren Boebert (Colorado) – switched their votes to support it at the last minute.
Previously, some hardline conservatives opposed the bill, citing reasons such as providing $400 million in aid to Ukraine annually for the next two years and the absence of provisions prohibiting the Federal Reserve from creating Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). Hardline conservatives view the CBDC ban as a crucial measure to protect privacy and civil liberties, suggesting that government-issued digital dollars may allow federal agencies to monitor or restrict individual transactions.
The bill also includes strict limitations on President Trump’s ability to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Europe and South Korea or suspend the delivery of weapons to Ukraine. It further withholds one-quarter of the travel budget of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth until the Pentagon submits unedited video footage targeting suspected drug trafficking vessels near Venezuela.
House Speaker Mike Johnson highlighted the key points of the bill, including providing a 4% pay raise for active-duty military personnel, completely abolishing the Department of Defense’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) program, combating anti-Semitism, cutting $200 billion in “outdated projects and bureaucratic Pentagon spending,” and adopting multiple tough policies towards China.
At the urging of conservative hawks like House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (Ohio), the bill also includes non-defense provisions requiring the FBI to disclose to Congress when investigating presidential candidates or other federal candidates.
The final version does not include provisions for reimbursing in vitro fertilization (IVF) expenses for military families, nor does it include provisions prohibiting states from regulating artificial intelligence.
Another key focus of the bill is the establishment of a “Foreign Investment Review Mechanism,” which requires U.S. companies and investors to report to the Treasury Department when investing in specific high-risk technology sectors in China or other “concerned countries.” The Treasury Department has the authority to directly block transactions or require annual reports to Congress.
One provision prohibits the Pentagon from entering into contracts with Chinese gene sequencing and biotechnology companies and prohibits the procurement of advanced batteries, optoelectronic components, computer displays, and critical minerals from entities in “concerned foreign countries” including China.
On the diplomatic front, the bill instructs the State Department to establish “Regional China Affairs Officers” at newly established U.S. embassies worldwide to monitor Chinese commercial, technological, and infrastructure activities in major geographical regions, including the Belt and Road Initiative. It also requires a biennial report on the comparison of U.S.-China global diplomatic presence.
The bill also repeals two dormant authorizations for the use of military force in Iraq from 1992 and 2002 and retains the primary post-9/11 anti-terrorism authorization from 2001 (AUMF) unchanged.