Senate Passes $924 Billion Defense Policy Bill for Fiscal 2026

The bill includes a pay increase for service members and the purchase of new ships and aircraft.

The U.S. Capitol building on the ninth day of the government shutdown on Capitol Hill in Washington on Oct. 9, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

The Senate on Oct. 9 passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2026, an annual bill that is considered “must-pass” legislation for national security and the U.S. military.

The 1,454-page bill would authorize an annual defense budget of $924.7 billion, with $878 billion authorized for the Department of War and $35 billion authorized for the Department of Energy, which maintains the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile. The bill itself does not actually fund the departments—such funding is provided in “appropriations” bills passed separately—but rather ensures the legal continuity of defense programs and agencies, and allows them to use future funding for various purposes.