On December 7, the US lawmakers agreed on the text of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). According to it, the US defense budget for next year will be $901 billion.
The text of the bill is published by Hill.
It is noted that the US Department of Defense budget is $8 billion larger than the $892.6 billion previously requested by President Donald Trump.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, said this year’s Act “helps advance President Trump’s and Republicans’ ʼPeace Through Strength’ agenda”. He said it codifies 15 of Trump’s executive orders, ends the WOK ideology in the Pentagon, ensures border security, and revitalizes the defense industrial base.
Reuters writes that this bill was a compromise between the versions approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
In particular, according to the House of Representatives, $832 billion was to be allocated for American defense programs in fiscal year 2026. However, they rejected an amendment that would have prohibited the allocation of $500 million for Ukraine, which was already included in this budget.
As Fox News notes, the text includes a section called "Expanding and Modifying the Ukraine Defense Assistance Initiative (USAI)", which provides $400 million in funding for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
Congress will also require more frequent reporting on alliesʼ contributions to Ukraine to track how European partners are supporting Kyiv.
It is worth adding that the NDAA authorizes Pentagon programs but does not fund them.
Now both houses of the US Congress must approve this document for the fiscal year ending in September 2026.
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