Legislation· Dec 2025Sponsored by John Cornyn (R)
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
Authorizes defense spending and military operations for 2026 across the Department of Defense, State, and other agencies.
Tradeoff
Spends about $820 billion on military procurement, personnel, research, and construction. Funds defense priorities including aircraft, ships, missiles, and cyber operations.
What's in it
The number on this bill, S 1071, started out as a different bill: the A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to disinter the remains of Fernando V. Cota from Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas, and for other purposes.. That entire text was removed and replaced with the National Defense Authorization Act for 2026, which is the text that was voted on. The official record now files it under the new name too.
The Senate passed this bill's original text — the A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to disinter the remains of Fernando V. Cota from Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas, and for other purposes. — in Aug 2025, before the text was replaced. That vote was not a vote on the National Defense Authorization Act for 2026.
Changes direct spending by an amount not specified in the abstract over an unspecified time period.
This bill changes federal direct spending on military retirement, public safety officer benefits, and National Defense Stockpile operations; the specific dollar impacts are not disclosed in the abstract.
The original bill text was replaced with the National Defense Authorization Act for 2026 before the House voted. The House passed the substituted bill 312-112 on December 10, 2025. The Senate agreed to proceed on December 11, 2025. passed 76-20 on December 15, 2025. The Senate agreed to the House amendment 77-20 on December 17, 2025.
Senate
Introduced as a bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to disinter the remains of Fernando V. Cota from Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas, and for other purposes
Introduced(Mar 14, 2025)
Senate
Committee on Veterans' Affairs(Mar 14, 2025)
Senate
Passage of the original text — the A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to disinter the remains of Fernando V. Cota from Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas, and for other purposes.
Passed by (Aug 1, 2025)
No member objected, and no individual votes were recorded
Senate
Taken away from the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Discharged(Aug 1, 2025)
House
Received from the Senate
Received(Aug 8, 2025)
House · Text replaced
Struck the entire original text and substituted the National Defense Authorization Act for 2026
(Dec 10, 2025)
House
On
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to disinter the remains of Fernando V. Cota from Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas, and for other purposes
Failed(Roll #319 · Dec 10, 2025)
209 yeanay 216House
Passage of the bill
To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to disinter the remains of Fernando V. Cota from Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas, and for other purposes
Passed(Roll #320 · Dec 10, 2025)
312 yeanay 112Senate
On the
Motion to Proceed to the House Message to Accompany S. 1071
Motion to Proceed Agreed to(Roll #646 · Dec 11, 2025)
75 yeanay 22Senate
On the Motion
Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to S. 1071
Cloture Motion Agreed to(Roll #647 · Dec 15, 2025)
76 yeanay 20Senate
On the Motion
Motion to Concur in the House Amendment to S. 1071
Motion Agreed to(Roll #648 · Dec 17, 2025)
77 yeanay 20House
Sent to the President
(Dec 18, 2025)
Where it stands
The Senate later passed the National Defense Authorization Act for 2026 as well; the President signed it into law
Both chambers have now passed identical text
White House · Signature
Signed
Donald Trump (R)
Enacted
Became law(Dec 18, 2025)
- Ted Cruz (R-TX)
Final passage· Dec 10, 2025· 119th Congress · 2025–2027