All articles tagged with #ndaa
House Speaker Mike Johnson faces internal and electoral challenges, including a narrow Tennessee victory, a revolt over the NDAA, and disagreements on healthcare policy, amid broader GOP struggles ahead of 2026 elections and legislative negotiations on issues like China restrictions and healthcare subsidies.
House Speaker Mike Johnson narrowly won a Tennessee special election amid internal GOP conflicts, notably over a provision Elise Stefanik fought to reinstate in the NDAA, highlighting ongoing legislative and party unity challenges.
The article discusses recent political developments including a close House special election in Tennessee, internal GOP disagreements over legislation and policy priorities such as health care and the NDAA, and ongoing challenges for Speaker Mike Johnson in managing party unity and legislative agendas.
The Senate approved its version of the 2026 NDAA amid a government shutdown, passing the bill with a 77-20 vote and setting the stage for negotiations with the House, while rejecting several amendments related to law enforcement transparency, military assistance, veteran care, and foreign investments, and emphasizing acquisition reform and budget reconciliation.
The Senate passed the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act with significant anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ provisions, including bans on transgender participation in military sports, restrictions on gender-affirming surgeries, and weakened diversity protections, amidst ongoing government shutdown negotiations and broader legislative battles over LGBTQ+ rights.
The Senate approved a $913.9 billion defense policy bill for 2026 after resolving amendment disputes, paving the way for a conference with the House to finalize the legislation, which includes provisions on drone threats, aircraft modifications, and military deployments.
The Senate Armed Services Committee approved a $500 million security aid package for Ukraine through 2028 as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 NDAA, which also restricts the retirement of A-10 aircraft and addresses global security threats, emphasizing technological advancements. The bill is set to proceed through legislative processes in the coming months.
A provision in the $895 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) aims to prevent the Pentagon from using casualty figures from the Gaza Health Ministry, which is under Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization. This move, criticized by some U.S. lawmakers and international bodies, could obscure the true death toll in Gaza, as these figures have been considered credible by the UN and human rights organizations. The NDAA, which also includes controversial measures on transgender healthcare, has passed the House and awaits a Senate vote.
The updated FY25 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) filed in the U.S. House includes a provision that would prohibit healthcare coverage for transgender children of servicemembers, sparking criticism from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). HRC President Kelley Robinson condemned the move as a political attack on military families, urging Congress to oppose the legislation. President Biden has vowed to veto any discriminatory laws against transgender individuals. This follows previous attempts by House Republicans to introduce anti-LGBTQ+ measures in legislation.
The House Armed Services Committee has approved a 19.5% pay raise for junior enlisted service members as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which focuses on improving military quality of life. The bill also includes measures to increase housing allowances, address food insecurity, and improve military housing conditions. Additionally, the committee debated and approved amendments related to affirmative action at military academies and recruitment of former service members discharged over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The NDAA will now proceed to the House floor for a vote.
The House has passed the annual defense policy bill, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), in a bipartisan vote, rejecting most of the conservative demands to include provisions targeting Pentagon policies on abortion, diversity, and LGBTQ+ rights. The $886 billion bill authorizes military partnerships, pay raises for military personnel, procurement of new weapons, and missile-defense systems. It also extends the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. The compromise bill stripped away the hard-right's culture-war provisions, leading to criticism from some Republicans. The bill now heads to President Biden for his expected signature.
The US Senate has passed a defense policy bill authorizing a record $886 billion in annual military spending with strong bipartisan support. The bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), covers a wide range of military policies and purchases, including pay raises for troops and measures to counter Russia and China. However, provisions addressing divisive social issues were left out of the final version, avoiding potential derailment of the legislation. The bill is expected to be passed by the House and signed into law by President Joe Biden. It also includes a four-month extension of a disputed domestic surveillance authority.
Republican Rep. Michael McCaul believes that the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) will ultimately become a bipartisan bill, despite a controversial abortion amendment that caused the bill to lose Democratic support in the House. McCaul expects that the amendment banning the Pentagon from covering travel expenses for service members seeking abortions out of state will survive in the final bill. Other conservative policy amendments, such as denying healthcare coverage for transgender service members and eliminating the Pentagon's offices of diversity, equity, and inclusion, also passed. These provisions are unlikely to pass in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Congress is seeking to scrap the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) and revert to the previous Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), a move that has sparked outcry from Army leadership. The draft legislation is far from final and faces months of negotiations before a final bill is sent to the president's desk for his signature. The ACFT has become a significant component of soldier evaluations and promotions, and the move would not only put the Army back years on training efforts but also sow confusion and frustration among soldiers after the ACFT's long development.
The House Armed Services Committee has passed the annual defense policy bill, authorizing the Navy to buy a total of 10 ships, including a Columbia-class ballistic-missile submarine, two Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, and two Virginia-class attack boats. The bill also includes an amendment requiring the Pentagon to create a program for the nuclear sea-launched cruise missile and a provision mandating the Navy to give lawmakers a new evaluation on the potential for buying used sealift ships off the foreign market. The bill approves a total of $886 billion for national defense.