House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) released the final text of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Sunday, touting the legislation as a key step toward advancing President Donald Trump’s “Peace Through Strength Agenda.” The bill is scheduled for a vote later this week and includes provisions that align closely with Trump’s defense priorities.
The NDAA codifies 15 of President Trump’s executive orders and targets programs seen as undermining military readiness, such as Critical Race Theory (CRT), Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and climate policies. Johnson’s office stated the bill “counters antisemitism and eliminates programs that discourage military readiness.”
If enacted, the NDAA will grant a 4% pay raise for enlisted service members, support troop deployments to the U.S.-Mexico border to stop illegal immigration and drug trafficking, and boost military collaboration with Israel. The legislation also cuts $20 billion in outdated weapons systems and unnecessary Pentagon bureaucracy.
The bill further accelerates development of U.S. space capabilities to counter threats from China and Russia, particularly in nuclear and surveillance domains. It also blocks contracts with advertising firms like NewsGuard Technologies Inc. that engage in blacklisting conservative news sources.
“This year’s NDAA helps advance President Trump and Republicans’ Peace Through Strength Agenda by codifying 15 of President Trump’s executive orders, ending woke ideology at the Pentagon, securing the border, revitalizing the defense industrial base, and restoring the warrior ethos,” Speaker Johnson said.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) echoed Johnson’s remarks, emphasizing the bill’s ability to overhaul the military’s outdated acquisition process and deliver tools to warfighters faster than adversaries like China.
The NDAA also incorporates components of the Working Families Tax Cut to ensure that American economic and military strength remain linked in deterring global threats.
