Congress Approves $900.6 Billion in Defense Funds Amid Acquisition Reform Efforts

The House passed the fiscal 2026 defense authorization bill, setting up passage in the Senate before Congress goes on holiday break. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) authorizes $900.6 billion in defense funds, or about $8 billion more than the White House’s request. Acquisition reform was a cornerstone of this year’s NDAA, with lawmakers pushing for changes to speed up the process and make it easier for new entrants to do business with the Defense Department. According to a fact sheet released by the HASC majority, the procurement plan includes $26 billion for shipbuilding, $38 billion for aircraft, and $4 billion for ground vehicles. However, congressional appropriators hold the power of the purse, meaning that all funding recommendations are nonbinding. Policy changes in the NDAA are backed with the force of law, including provisions aimed at preventing program cancellations and slowing retirements. For example, the bill includes language greenlighting a multi-year buy of the UH-60 Black Hawk in FY27 onward, as well as authorizing early production for the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program. According to Breaking Defense, leadership from the House and Senate Armed Services Committees introduced the final, compromise version of the bill on Sunday.