The total volume of the document exceeds three thousand pages. Excerpts are published in such outlets as Reuters and The New York Times. This week, the U.S. House of Representatives will begin discussing this bill.
The defense budget for 2026, according to the draft, will amount to $901 billion, which is $8 billion more than the amount requested by the Trump administration. The document proposes a 3.8% increase in military personnel salaries, as well as an expansion of arms production and a revision of the Department of Defense's contracting system.
The NDAA draft includes measures to accelerate the production of military drones, reforms in missile defense, and the creation of a multi-layered defense system called "Golden Dome." It also provides for the use of the military at the southern border of the U.S. in accordance with Trump's directives, while the Pentagon's name remains unchanged — the Department of Defense, despite its intention to change the name to the Department of War.
Furthermore, the bill repeals authorizations for the use of force issued in 1991 and 2002 for operations in the Middle East and contains a provision for lifting sanctions against Syria.
In early November, Trump stated that the U.S. had stopped funding Ukraine and had begun receiving money through arms sales to NATO countries. In the summer, he initiated a new supply scheme, under which the United States sells weapons to Kyiv through NATO, called the Priority Ukraine Requirements List (PURL). U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted that Washington is selling weapons with a 10% markup.
