IN 2026, “MUST-PASS” BILL MAY NOT PASS
Historically seen by both parties as “must-pass legislation,” the NDAA is one of the few major Bills that always gets through Congress, having become law for 65 straight years.
This year’s Bill faces major challenges, given deep partisan divisions within Congress on issues ranging from the massive size of the military budget to the Iran war, aid to Israel and Ukraine and “culture war” causes like the treatment of transgender troops.
The fiscal 2027 NDAA’s fate was also complicated because Republicans voted to attach it to the “SAVE America Act”. Trump-backed legislation to tighten restrictions on voting, before sending it to the Senate. The impact of that decision on the NDAA’s fate was unclear, given that there are not enough votes in the Senate to pass the voting law.
Senate Democrats blocked the Senate’s version of the NDAA last week. The chamber’s Republican leaders have pledged to try again to advance the Bill before leaving Washington for their August recess.
It is early in the NDAA process.
Each year, the House and Senate pass their own versions of the NDAA before Armed Services committee negotiators agree on a compromise version that then comes up for a vote in each chamber.
If the compromise version passes, it would be sent to the White House for Trump to sign into law or veto.