Saturday, October 31, 2026Independent tracking of the National Defense Authorization Act

The hub for the National Defense Authorization Act — status, history, and analysis

FY2027 NDAA · 119th Congress

FY2027 NDAA deferred to lame-duck session as Senate adjourns

The House passed H.R. 8800 on July 22, 2026, 216–212, authorizing a $1.15 trillion FY2027 defense policy bill — including right-to-repair provisions and $500M for a second destroyer. Senate cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 4784 failed on July 14, 2026, 50–46; a motion to reconsider was entered, and there has been no further Senate floor action. The Senate adjourned for the midterm campaign on the night of Wednesday, September 30, 2026, and is scheduled to return the week of November 9, after the November 3 election. Leaders punted the NDAA to the post-election lame-duck session. Fiscal year 2027 began October 1, 2026 without an enacted NDAA.

Status as of October 1, 2026

What's next

The Senate is scheduled to be in session only 8 days in November and 14 days in December, counting Fridays, which aren't typically Senate workdays. Government funding expires December 11, competing for lame-duck floor time. Thanksgiving recess is November 23–27 and the Senate is out December 21–31. Sen. Mike Rounds said, "I think the NDAA will come together after the election." The expected path is a compromise text negotiated by the four Armed Services committee leaders, which wouldn't require the Senate to pass S. 4784 on the floor.

ReadFY2027723 sections · TLDRsAskAnswersDid it pass? Vote?AlertsEmailWhen the bill movesPay2027 raiseHouse vs SenateHouseH.R. 8800$1.15T · PassedSenateS. 4784$1.14T · Lame duck

Bill Action Feed

Official actions and new bill prints on the FY2027 bills, checked hourly against Congress.gov and govinfo.

  1. Sep 30, 2026S. 4784Senate adjourned for the midterm campaign on the night of Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Scheduled to return the week of November 9, after the November 3 election. Leaders deferred the NDAA to the lame-duck session.
  2. Sep 14, 2026H.R. 8800Received in the Senate.
  3. Jul 22, 2026H.R. 8800Passed the House with a $1.15T topline, including right-to-repair provisions and funding for a second destroyer.
  4. Jul 1, 2026S. 4784Floor consideration blocked; measure stalled amid disputes over the Iran conflict and the defense topline.
  5. Jun 15, 2026S. 4784Senate Armed Services Committee approved its $1.14T version of the FY2027 bill.
  6. May 26, 2026H.R. 8800House Armed Services Committee released draft legislative proposals for markup.
  7. Apr 3, 2026FY2027President's FY2027 budget request submitted to Congress.

Key Sections to Watch

FY2027 NDAA AlertsFree email when Congress.gov or govinfo posts a new official action or bill print. The FY2027 bill is not law yet.FY2027 NDAA AnswersDid it pass, when is the vote, what's in the bill, the compromise, lapse, and NDAA vs appropriations.FY2027 Military Pay RaiseHouse vs Senate on the January 2027 raise: 3.6% ECI default, the President’s 7–6–5 request, and what happens if no NDAA passes.Right to RepairProvisions pushing the Pentagon to share technical data and repair rights.Destroyer & ShipbuildingThe second-destroyer fight: Sec. 123 multiyear procurement and shipbuilding authorities.Sec. 123 — Arleigh Burke DestroyersMultiyear procurement authority for Arleigh Burke class destroyers.Acquisition ReformHow FY2027 extends the portfolio acquisition model from P.L. 119-60.Iran & Middle EastIran-conflict language and foreign-ownership prohibitions stalling the Senate.Sec. 162 — F-35 Multiyear ProcurementMultiyear procurement authority for F–35 aircraft.NDAA Amendment TrackerWhere H.R. 8800 and S. 4784 stand, and the House vs Senate differences a final bill has to settle.House vs Senate DiffWord-level diffs of H.R. 8800 vs S. 4784 across all 723 sections.

Latest NDAA news

Daily NDAA updates → View all news →
FY2026

President Delegates NDAA Sanctions Authority to Treasury and State

Daily Federal reports that on October 28, 2026, the President issued a memorandum titled "Delegation of Authority Under Section 8335 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026," assigning sections of the enacted FY2026 NDAA — not the pending FY2027 bill — to the Treasury and State secretaries and to agency heads. The memorandum delegates to the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the functions and authorities vested in the President by section 8335(a) (22 U.S.C. 10704(a)); once sanctionable foreign persons are identified by the Secretary of State, heads of relevant executive departments and agencies may implement such sanctions. The President further delegated to Treasury the authorities under sections 8335(c)(1) and 8335(d)(1), section 8335(f) in consultation with the Secretary of State, and section 8335(i); the Secretary of State received the authority vested in the President by section 8335(g). Section 2 of the memorandum provides that these delegations apply to any provision of any future public law that is the same or substantially the same as the referenced provision. Section 3 directs the Secretary of the Treasury to publish the memorandum in the Federal Register. The notice appears as FR Doc. 2026-22386, 91 FR 69203 (Federal Register Volume 91, No. 210, pages 69203-69204), filed on October 30, 2026 at 11:15 a.m., on public inspection October 30 and publishing November 2.

Daily Federal · Oct 31, 2026Analysis

Congress' 65-year defense bill streak could be in jeopardy

Ellen Mitchell reports that Congress' annual defense authorization bill is on shaky ground amid partisan infighting, threatening its unbroken 65-year streak of passage. The NDAA faces an uphill climb due to its historically high $1.15 trillion request, a figure that climbs to $1.5 trillion if the Trump administration gets its desired third reconciliation bill passed (also a tough climb). Democrats feel the topline must be cut by hundreds of billions of dollars and want guardrails around the ongoing war against Iran before voting yes, setting up a showdown with the administration, which is not letting up on its desired dollar figure or close to a peace deal with Tehran that satisfies Democrats. Mackenzie Eaglen, a defense budget expert at the American Enterprise Institute, said the distance between a "nightmare scenario," in which the NDAA is not enacted, and a defense bill bundle that includes a third reconciliation bill is the widest gap she has ever seen: "The politics are absolutely dismal between the two branches right now." "Once red lines are crossed, it is difficult to go backward. I fear the necessary and bipartisan NDAA is fragile in this new era but hope I'm wrong." In June the House Armed Services Committee passed its version 44-12, with only half the panel's Democrats voting in favor (typically only one or two Democrats would oppose); in July the House passed it 216-212, with a handful of Democrats joining Republicans. In July senators failed to advance their version on a 50-46 procedural vote, short of 60. As of late October, House and Senate lawmakers are pursuing informal negotiations; a defense insider said congressional staff have finished their work on the bill and unresolved issues have moved to the staff director level, to then go to the "Big Four" (chair and ranking member of the House and Senate Armed Services committees) once lawmakers return after the November midterm elections, with a goal of completing the bill by Thanksgiving.

The Hill · Oct 30, 2026Analysis

Darkness Before the Dawn? The Outlook for a 66th Consecutive National Defense Authorization Act Is Dimming

William C. Greenwalt says NDAA passage prospects may be the worst in decades; the fate will be decided, as for the past 65 consecutive years, on whether there are enough bipartisan votes, and "those votes are just not there yet." The House could not even pass it on a party-line basis this year: six Democrats supported it to cancel out seven Republicans who opposed. Senate cloture needing 60 votes was "a bridge too far." Failing to get a Senate bill is not unprecedented; a pseudo-conference lining up the House-passed bill with the Senate committee-passed bill is now under way, and success hinges on whether the outcome can get 60 Senate votes. Conferees must address Democratic concerns, best articulated by Sen. Kaine's additional views to the SASC report: the topline, the department renaming, and the administration's use/threat of force. The topline will be handled in other bills (reconciliation, a CR, or stalled appropriations), so options include waiting, marking to a likely CR, authorizing hollow budget authority, or dropping the budget tables and going forward as a policy-only bill. Provisions with no Democratic support, such as officially renaming the Pentagon the Department of War, will need to be dropped. Compromise language on administration actions in the Caribbean, eastern Pacific, Venezuela and Iran will test HASC and SASC leaders, and real constraints would invite a veto; the administration's continued tilt to Russia risks shutting down lame-duck defense action. He argues the stock buyback and "right to repair" provisions deserve to be buried. Conclusion: "we may have to wait until February for any clarity on the NDAA's future."

AEI · Oct 30, 2026Conference

DCUC Urges Thune and Schumer to Keep Commissary Interchange Amendment Out of FY2027 NDAA

The Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) is urging Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to reject any commissary interchange amendment in the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), including a study or report intended to advance restrictions on payment-card interchange or routing. In a letter to the Senate leaders, DCUC Chief Advocacy Officer Jason Stverak calls for excluding the provision from floor amendment packages, any manager's amendment, negotiations, and the final defense bill. DCUC also opposes using the NDAA to advance the Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA) or related Durbin-Marshall routing mandates. Stverak: "Military families should never be used to sell a payments policy that could leave them with higher costs and fewer financial options." "Putting the word 'commissary' in an amendment does not establish a benefit for the people who shop there. Senate leaders should reject this provision and demand evidence that any proposed change will actually strengthen military families' financial security." DCUC's letter explains that a study would not itself impose the CCCA's routing requirements; the Council's concern is that a study framed around reducing interchange could become the foundation for broader mandates without fully accounting for fraud prevention, cybersecurity, credit access, and the benefits cardholders receive. DCUC President and CEO Anthony Hernandez: "Defense credit unions help families manage the financial demands of deployments, military moves, and unexpected emergencies." "Congress should protect the institutions and payment services those families count on. We strongly oppose using the NDAA to advance an interchange agenda that puts those services at risk without a demonstrated benefit to servicemembers and veterans." Interchange helps support the costs of providing payment cards, monitoring fraud, and maintaining reliable service; DCUC warns that reducing revenue while leaving those obligations in place could put pressure on member fees, card benefits, and credit availability, and that smaller institutions could also experience effects from changes across payment networks even when they are outside a mandate's direct coverage. The request builds on DCUC's June 29, 2026 FY2027 NDAA letter, which explicitly opposed commissary and exchange card-fee studies and related payment-routing provisions. Stverak: "Our opposition has been clear across multiple defense authorization cycles." "A study that becomes the launching point for harmful payment mandates deserves the same scrutiny as the mandates themselves. We are asking both Senate leaders to keep this language out of the final bill."

Defense Credit Union Council (DCUC) · Oct 30, 2026Conference

Buchanan Highlights Key Priorities for Final Defense Bill

Rep. Vern Buchanan led a letter to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees urging inclusion of his ten bipartisan amendments, all unanimously adopted in the House-passed FY27 NDAA (H.R. 8800), in the final bill. They cover combating military obesity, including a Continuous Glucose Monitoring pilot mirroring his FORCE-FIT Act and a Go for Green nutrition report; defense supply chains, including an inventory of legacy semiconductor dependencies and a plan to end reliance on foreign single-source suppliers; a report on AI-powered attacks, scams and fraud targeting military installations and personnel; tactical vehicle risk management and ground safety; and training-accident reduction reporting. Buchanan: "All 10 of my amendments seek to protect the health, safety and readiness of our servicemembers, counter emerging threats from foreign adversaries and strengthen America's defense supply chains."

Office of U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (press release) · Oct 29, 2026Analysis

Inside the breakdown of Trump's $1.5 trillion Pentagon plan

Noah Robertson reports that The Washington Post spoke with 30 people at the center of national security in Congress, including 20 lawmakers on committees overseeing the Pentagon. With just over 20 legislative days left in the year, lawmakers are deadlocked on the major defense policy and spending bills. The NDAA has advanced for 65 consecutive years; this year it failed to advance in the Senate and barely passed the House, where more Republicans voted against it than Democrats voted for it; the two chambers are negotiating a final version with votes expected later this fall. Most lawmakers said the annual defense appropriations bill is at greater risk of failing. The administration split its $1.5 trillion request into $1.15 trillion needing Democratic support and $350 billion meant to pass with GOP votes alone; Republicans haven't agreed on a strategy for the party-line share. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has urged Congress to approve an additional $67 billion for the Iran war and other operations; nearly all Senate Democrats blocked it. CENTCOM estimated the Iran conflict cost more than $47 billion as of mid-October. Lawmakers of both parties described Hegseth's adversarial behavior — withholding information, attacking Democrats and some Republicans — as straining bipartisan dealmaking. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.): "The people who have been around for a few days have seen what normal looks like. We're not living in normal." Pentagon spokesman Joel Valdez: "Lawmakers understand exactly how critical the National Defense Authorization Act and defense appropriations are to military readiness." Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) faulted Democrats; Sen. Angus King (I-Maine): "it takes a lot of nerve." There's still time for a deal, but as the midterms approach, frustration over Iran — and Hegseth — has stymied the president's agenda.

The Washington Post · Oct 29, 2026Conference

Lawmakers Push House, Senate Leaders Over Shipbuilding in NDAA

Zach Williams reports that a bipartisan group of more than 100 lawmakers sent a letter to congressional leaders — House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and their Democratic counterparts — saying shipbuilding should be included in the must-pass defense bill when they return from recess. Sens. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) led the effort. The letter, shared first with Bloomberg Government: "Should the United States enter a prolonged conflict, a robust Merchant Marine, outfitted with U.S. shipping vessels manned by American mariners, would be critical for addressing any potential logistical challenges." Kelly and Young sponsor the SHIPS for America Act; the House-passed H.R. 8800 includes a rewritten SHIPS Act.

Bloomberg Government · Oct 29, 2026Conference

More Than 100 Lawmakers Push to Include SHIPS for America Act in Defense Bill

Mike Schuler reports that a bipartisan group of 119 lawmakers, in an Oct. 29 letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, urged keeping and expanding SHIPS for America Act (Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security Act of 2025) provisions in the final FY2027 NDAA. The letter was led by Reps. Trent Kelly (R-Miss.) and John Garamendi (D-Calif.) and Sens. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.). The House-passed H.R. 8800 includes elements of the SHIPS Act under Title XXXVI, agreed to unanimously per the letter; the lawmakers call that "a necessary start" and want omitted provisions considered. The letter cites China, South Korea and Japan building more than 90% of global shipbuilding tonnage vs. under 1% for the U.S., and fewer than 100 U.S.-flagged vessels in international commerce vs. an estimated Chinese fleet of more than 5,500. The letter: "Especially should the United States enter a prolonged conflict, a robust Merchant Marine, outfitted with U.S. shipping vessels manned by American mariners, would be critical for addressing any potential logistical challenges associated with the transportation of supplies." Signers include Sens. Susan Collins, Elizabeth Warren, Richard Blumenthal, Amy Klobuchar, Katie Britt and John Fetterman and Reps. Joe Courtney and Rob Wittman.

gCaptain · Oct 29, 2026Conference

Rep. Golden urges negotiators to keep American shipbuilding measure in final defense bill

WABI News Desk reports that Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) sent a letter to both the House and Senate Armed Services Committees urging them to keep his amendment in the final defense authorization bill. The House approved a version barring overseas production in July, while a Senate proposal would allow the Pentagon to build certain naval vessels abroad. Golden asks negotiators from both chambers to preserve his amendment before the final bill goes to a vote. Golden's June 5, 2026 release said the HASC-adopted amendment specifies that none of the funds authorized for the Navy in FY27 may be obligated or expended to contract for a battle force ship built in a foreign yard.

WABI · Oct 29, 2026Funding

FY 2027 Defense Funding: Potential Post-Midterm Outcomes

Seamus P. Daniels writes that DoD is under a continuing resolution through Dec. 11. The administration requested $1.15 trillion in base discretionary appropriations plus $350 billion in reconciliation, and a nearly $70 billion supplemental in June for the Iran war and other defense activities. Only 22 Senate and 20 House session days remain. If Democrats win one or both chambers, another CR punting full-year FY27 appropriations is likely; reconciliation defense money is more likely near the $60 billion in the House budget resolution (H. Con. Res. 113) than $350 billion; the supplemental is unlikely to move separately. House defense appropriations bill H.R. 9495 (approximately $1.072 trillion) still needs a floor vote. The piece concludes Congress must also consider the FY2027 NDAA and a possible debt-ceiling deal in a packed lame-duck agenda.

CSIS · Oct 28, 2026

NDAA Archive

Every National Defense Authorization Act is a year-long legislative campaign. The archive below covers recent enacted bills; full texts live on Congress.gov.

FY2026
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
Bill
S. 1071
Public Law
P.L. 119-60
Signed
Dec 18, 2025
Topline
$901B

Centered on sweeping defense acquisition reform — portfolio-based acquisition model and requirements overhaul.

FY2025
Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and NDAA for FY2025
Bill
H.R. 5009
Public Law
P.L. 118-159
Signed
Dec 23, 2024
Topline
$895B

Junior enlisted pay raise (14.5%) and quality-of-life package alongside annual authorizations.

FY2024
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024
Bill
H.R. 2670
Public Law
P.L. 118-31
Signed
Dec 22, 2023
Topline
$886B

Extended Section 702 surveillance authority; largest-ever topline at enactment.

FY2023
James M. Inhofe NDAA for Fiscal Year 2023
Bill
H.R. 7776
Public Law
P.L. 117-263
Signed
Dec 23, 2022
Topline
$858B

Rescinded the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for service members; major Taiwan security assistance.

FY2022
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022
Bill
S. 1605
Public Law
P.L. 117-81
Signed
Dec 27, 2021
Topline
$768B

Military justice reform — moved prosecution of sexual assault outside the chain of command.

FY2021
William M. (Mac) Thornberry NDAA for Fiscal Year 2021
Bill
H.R. 6395
Public Law
P.L. 116-283
Signed
Jan 1, 2021
Topline
$740B

Enacted over presidential veto — the only veto override of the 116th Congress. Created the Pacific Deterrence Initiative.

FY2020
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020
Bill
S. 1790
Public Law
P.L. 116-92
Signed
Dec 20, 2019
Topline
$738B

Established the United States Space Force as the sixth armed service.

Tracking Resources

FY2027 NDAA Status TrackerWhere H.R. 8800 and S. 4784 stand right now, with the full legislative timeline.FY2027 NDAA AnswersDid it pass? When is the vote? What's in the bill? Dated one-screen answers for people and AI assistants.FY2027 NDAA Status GuideWhere the bill stands right now — timeline, what's blocking the Senate, and what happens next.H.R. 8800 vs S. 4784House vs Senate versions compared: toplines, section counts, and the key policy fights.FY2027 vs FY2026 — What's DifferentHow this year's defense authorization compares to the enacted P.L. 119-60.FY2027 Military Pay RaiseHouse vs Senate on the January 2027 basic-pay raise, the 3.6% ECI default, and related BAH and bonus provisions.Congress.gov — H.R. 8800Official bill text, actions, amendments, and cosponsors for the current House NDAA.GovTrack — H.R. 8800Independent bill tracker with status updates and prognosis.CRS Defense Primer: The NDAA ProcessHow the annual authorization process works, from budget request to conference.Naval Postgraduate School — NDAA Research GuideLibrary guide compiling NDAA texts, reports, and analysis year by year.House Armed Services CommitteeMarkup schedules, chairman's marks, and committee reports.Senate Armed Services CommitteeSASC markup summaries and the Senate version of the bill.Senate tentative 2026 scheduleOfficial Senate calendar: return the week of November 9; 8 November and 14 December session days.