The U.S. Senate just cleared a massive defense bill that not only pumps cash into the Pentagon but also packs in sweeping reforms the Defense Department hasn’t seen in decades. The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, passed Wednesday with a strong bipartisan vote of 77–20, sets aside over $900 billion in discretionary funding for the military and now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk for his expected signature.
According to Military Times, with the House having already approved the bill earlier this month, the NDAA is poised to become law, solidifying one of the largest defense budgets in U.S. history—coming in at $8 billion more than what the Pentagon itself asked for.
Major Investments in Combat Readiness and Innovation
This year’s NDAA ensures full backing for several high-priority defense initiatives, including missile defense through the Golden Dome for America, the next-generation F-47 fighter jet, and critical naval expansion with more submarines and destroyers.
Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) praised the package, noting, “The bill sets us on a path to modernize our defense capabilities and augment our drone manufacturing, shipbuilding efforts, and the development of innovative low-cost weapons.” But this legislation is not just about more spending—it’s aimed at ensuring that those dollars don’t get strangled by bureaucracy. Included provisions from Wicker’s FORGED Act aim to simplify acquisitions, encourage commercial innovation, and expand the defense industrial base.
Pentagon Bureaucracy Gets Its Long-Overdue Shakeup
In what some lawmakers are calling the most extensive overhaul of Pentagon business practices in 60 years, the NDAA restructures core functions and slashes red tape that often delays weapons development and procurement.
Reforms to the Joint Requirements Oversight Council are part of the cleanup. Instead of rubber-stamping outdated service requirements, the new approach prioritizes solving joint operational challenges—something that might sound like common sense, but has been sorely lacking. The legislation also creates a senior-level Property Management Office to improve how military families are relocated—a long-overdue nod to service members who’ve too often been treated like cargo during cross-country moves.
Military Pay Raise, Overseas Strategy, and New Red Lines
The bill gives our troops a 3.8% pay bump—respect and compensation they’ve earned, especially amid rising inflation and mounting international instability.
Congress also sends a clear message to European allies—and adversaries—by blocking any effort to reduce America’s force posture on the continent or cede leadership of NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander-Europe post without congressional certification. Security assistance gets a boost too, with $200 million authorized for U.S. support in Europe alongside new backing for Ukraine and the Baltic states.
Keeping Eyes on Ukraine and Checking the Pentagon
The Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative is extended through 2028, with $400 million authorized across 2026 and 2027. That’s not a blank check—Congress is also requiring the Defense Secretary to notify lawmakers about any changes to intelligence support to Ukraine.
Speaking of oversight, the bill takes a novel approach with Pentagon leadership by withholding one-quarter of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget until he submits unedited footage of military strikes in the Caribbean. Consider it a polite way to say, “Show your work.” Senator Jack Reed said the bill “enhances military readiness, supports service members and their families, modernizes combat platforms, and invests in critical technologies.” For Americans tired of posturing and eager for real strategy, that’s at least a step in the right direction.
Pacific Deterrence and Modern Conflict Preparedness
With tensions in the Indo-Pacific region simmering, the NDAA wisely keeps the Pacific Deterrence Initiative fully funded. It also tightens coordination under the AUKUS agreement with the U.K. and Australia and provides new authority for defense cooperation with Taiwan. On the airpower front, the bill blocks the Air Force from shrinking its fleet of A-10 Warthogs below 103 aircraft—a win for close air support advocates who argue that these battle-tested jets still have a vital mission.
Additionally, the retirement of RQ-4 Global Hawk drones is pushed back to 2030, while the Air Force must stockpile enough F-35 spare parts to last 90 days by September 2028. It's a subtle way of saying we’d prefer not to be caught off guard—or without replacements—mid-fight.
A Strategic Reset Without Political Theater
Despite the scale of the package, there’s been surprisingly little hand-wringing from either side of the aisle. The overwhelming Senate vote and steady support in the House indicate a rare alignment on national defense—proof that even in a hyper-political town, securing the homeland still brings some consensus.
“In this NDAA,” Wicker added, “my colleagues and I have prioritized the structural rebuilding of the arsenal of democracy and returning the department to its warfighting mission.” It’s music to the ears of those tired of watching the Pentagon get tangled in social engineering experiments instead of preparing to win wars. The NDAA makes one thing clear: America's military is returning to a focus on lethality, efficiency, and strategic deterrence—not political fashion statements. And for a nation increasingly tested abroad, that's called getting back to basics.
