The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to advance a $901 billion bill setting policy for the Pentagon, sending the massive piece of legislation to the White House, which has said President Donald Trump will sign it into law.
The US Senate on Wednesday voted by a wide margin to move forward with a $901 billion defence policy bill, clearing the way for the legislation to be sent to the White House, where President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law.
The measure, known as the fiscal 2026 National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), represents a compromise between earlier versions approved separately by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
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It authorises a record $901 billion in annual defence spending, including a 4 percent pay increase for service members, funding for military equipment purchases and initiatives aimed at strengthening US competitiveness against rivals China and Russia.
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The bill passed the Senate with a bipartisan vote of 77–20. The House approved the legislation last week.
Despite Republicans holding majorities in both chambers and the bill’s overall alignment with defence priorities, this year’s NDAA includes provisions to bolster security in Europe, a departure from President Trump’s recent stance. Earlier this month, Trump released a National Security Strategy viewed as more accommodating towards Russia and signalling a reassessment of America’s relationship with Europe.
The fiscal 2026 NDAA provides $800 million for Ukraine – $400 million in each of the next two years – as part of the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays U.S. companies for weapons for Ukraine’s military.
It also authorises the Baltic Security Initiative and provides $175 million to support Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia’s defence. And it limits the Department of Defence’s ability to drop the number of U.S. forces in Europe to fewer than 76,000 and bars the U.S. European Commander from giving up the title of NATO Supreme Commander.
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Members of Congress take great pride in having passed the NDAA every year for more than six decades.
This month a handful of senators from both parties called for the addition of a provision to strengthen military helicopter safety rules, following a fatal crash between an Army Black Haw