Of the approximately $1.0 trillion requested in the FY2026 President's budget for discretionary activities within the national defense budget function, $882.6 billion fell within the scope of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (NDAA; H.R. 3838; S. 2296; S. 1071; P.L. 119-60). While the NDAA itself does not provide funding (i.e., budget authority), historically the legislation has served as an indicator of congressional views on funding for such activities.
During consideration of an FY2026 NDAA, Members of Congress proposed authorizing differing levels of funding than the President requested for such activities. Members debated the effect of mandatory defense-related funding provided in Title II of the 2025 reconciliation act (P.L. 119-21) on the defense budget for FY2026, including amounts available for certain weapon systems. The House-passed H.R. 3838 would have authorized the level of funding the President requested. The Senate-passed S. 2296 would have authorized $32.1 billion more than requested. The enacted version of the legislation (P.L. 119-60), a House amendment to S. 1071, authorized $8.0 billion more than requested (see Table 1).
This product summarizes funding authorizations in the FY2026 NDAA for the National Defense Budget (budget function 050), which comprises that for the Department of Defense (DOD; [subfunction 051]), atomic energy defense programs (subfunction 053), and certain other defense-related activities (subfunction 054). (DOD is "using a secondary Department of War designation," under Executive Order 14347 dated September 5, 2025.)
Table 1. Discretionary Funding Authorizations in the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act
(in billions of current dollars)
|
By Title, Division, and Function |
Enacted FY2025 NDAA (P.L. 118-159) |
FY2026 Budget Requesta |
Enacted FY2026 NDAA (P.L. 119-60) |
||
|
Procurement |
$167.8 |
$152.8 |
$153.2 |
$171.0 |
$161.7 |
|
RDT&E |
$143.8 |
$142.0 |
$142.4 |
$150.5 |
$145.7 |
|
O&M |
$294.5 |
$295.7 |
$295.1 |
$277.7 |
$291.5 |
|
MILPERS |
$182.7 |
$194.7 |
$193.9 |
$193.9 |
$193.2 |
|
Other |
$43.5 |
$44.2 |
$44.7 |
$45.2 |
$43.9 |
|
Subtotal, Division A |
$832.3 |
$829.3 |
$829.3 |
$838.3 |
$836.0 |
|
MILCON |
$15.2 |
$16.6 |
$16.6 |
$38.5 |
$17.5 |
|
Family Housing |
$1.8 |
$1.9 |
$1.9 |
$1.8 |
$1.8 |
|
BRAC |
$0.5 |
$0.4 |
$0.5 |
$0.4 |
$0.5 |
|
Subtotal, Division B |
$17.5 |
$18.9 |
$18.9 |
$40.7 |
$19.7 |
|
Total, |
$849.9 |
$848.2 |
$848.2 |
$879.0 |
$855.7 |
|
Subfunction 053, |
$33.3 |
$33.9 |
$33.8 |
$35.2 |
$34.3 |
|
Subfunction 054, |
$0.5 |
$0.5 |
$0.5 |
$0.5 |
|
|
Grand Total, 050 National Defense |
$883.7 |
$882.6 |
$882.6 |
$914.3 |
$890.6 |
Source: CRS analysis of explanatory statement to accompany House amendment to Senate amendment to H.R. 5009, pp. 498-501; U.S. Congress, House Committee on Armed Services, Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, report to accompany H.R. 3838, 119th Cong., 1st sess., H.Rept. 119-231, pp. 434-439; U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on Armed Services, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, report to accompany S. 2296, 119th Cong., 1st sess., S.Rept. 119-39, pp. 378-382; and "Joint Explanatory Material Statement Submitted by Mr. Rogers of Alabama, Chair of the House Committee on Armed Services, on S. 1071," Congressional Record, vol. 171, no. 208 (December 10, 2025), pp. H5669-H5673.
Notes: Figures may not sum due to rounding. "MILPERS" is Military Personnel; "O&M" is Operation and Maintenance; "RDT&E" is Research, Development, Test, & Evaluation; "MILCON" is Military Construction; "BRAC" is Base Realignment and Closure; "VA" is Veterans Affairs. "Other" includes Defense Health Program, Inspector General, Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities, Chemical Agents and Munitions Destruction, Defense Working Capital Funds, National Defense Stockpile Transaction Fund. "Subfunction 053" includes Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration, Environmental and other defense activities. "Subfunction 054" includes the Department of Transportation (DOT) Maritime Administration Maritime Security Program and Tanker Security Program.
a. Amounts in this column reflect those in the joint explanatory statement to accompany the House amendment to S. 1071.
b. The SASC typically does not authorize appropriations for the DOT Maritime Administration Maritime Security Program and Tanker Security Program; the final version of the NDAA typically does.
H.R. 3838, the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, would have authorized $882.6 billion, the amount requested by the Administration, according to the accompanying House Armed Services Committee (HASC) report, H.Rept. 119-231.
The committee departed from the Administration's request with respect to certain weapons programs. H.R. 3838 would have authorized more funding than requested for some weapon systems, including the Air Force E-7 Wedgetail electronic attack aircraft, and less than that requested for others, such as the Missile Defense Agency Ground-based Midcourse Defense program. In a September 8 Statement of Administration Policy, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) stated that the Administration "strongly opposes authorizing additional funds for the E-7 and supports cancelling the E-7."
S. 2296, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, would have authorized $914.3 billion for national defense, approximately $32.1 billion more than requested, according to the accompanying Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) report, S.Rept. 119-39.
During a June 18 hearing, SASC Chair Roger Wicker described the President's FY2026 budget request as "inadequate" and as containing "numerous significant holes." In a September 9 Statement of Administration Policy, OMB stated the Administration's concerns with the committee's decision to authorize more funding than requested, and stated that SASC failed to take into consideration the mandatory funds provided by P.L. 119-21.
The enacted FY2026 NDAA authorized $890.6 billion for national defense, $8.0 billion more than requested, according to the Joint Explanatory Statement that accompanied the HASC and SASC-negotiated agreement (S. 1071).
P.L. 119-60 authorized funding for certain DOD accounts that differed from the request. S. 1071 authorized $8.9 billion and $3.7 billion more than requested for DOD procurement and research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) accounts, respectively. P.L. 119-60 also authorized $0.4 billion more than requested for atomic energy defense activities (e.g., weapons activities), among other changes. The legislation authorized $1.5 billion and $4.1 billion less than requested for the military personnel (MILPERS) and operations and maintenance (O&M) accounts, respectively.
In a December 9, 2025, Statement of Administration Policy, OMB stated that the Administration "strongly supports" passage of S. 1071. President Donald J. Trump signed the bill into law on December 18.