Mackenzie Eaglen dissects a rare bipartisan measure on Capitol Hill that will improve American defense.
The FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act couples nearly $900 billion in defense spending with a rare dose of bipartisan clarity.
-Lawmakers trim legacy bureaucracy and climate add-ons while streamlining acquisition, creating portfolio acquisition executives and faster requirements to field new tech at speed.
-The bill protects key aircraft from premature retirement, doubles down on F-47 NGAD, CCA, submarines and shipyards, and pours billions into Stingers, Javelins, Tomahawks and LRASMs under multi-year buys to rebuild surge capacity.
-It also hardens U.S. posture in Europe and Asia, tying troop levels and security cooperation to a long-term strategy of deterring China and Russia.
In a divided Washington, the policy bill strengthening and overseeing the U.S. military is a rare and welcome vestige of bipartisanship.
As the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) moves through the Senate toward the president’s desk this week, some key priorities are worth highlighting.
Foremost is praise for Congress providing the necessary resources to match what the nation asks of those in uniform.
By exceeding past spending thresholds, Congress has chosen to do what is required over what is easiest.
The White House request was $892.6 billion, and the policy bill’s topline was around $900 billion.
This—plus the generational investment into the military from the OBBBA reconciliation—provides the resources to repair, rebuild, and bolster hemispheric defense while simultaneously restoring deterrence in Asia.
While weapons make for big headlines, they are determined, planned, and purchased within the massive defense bureaucracy.
Rightsizing the size and reach of Uncle Sam has been a goal of successive administrations and Congresses with little by way of major progress—particularly speed of acquisition action.
Capitol Hill cut nearly $20 billion from nondefense spending in the military’s budget, outdated bureaucracy, and inefficient programs in the latest policy bill.
