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Senate lawmakers hit the ground running Tuesday by voting to proceed to debate on the annual defense policy bill.
Unlike in recent years, the Senate acted before the House to begin consideration of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, the must-pass defense measure.
“I regret that last summer, the NDAA was not given full consideration on the Senate floor. This is our duty to correct that,” said Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The version of the fiscal 2026 NDAA passed by the SASC on July 9 authorizes $878.7 billion for the Defense Department.
The bill approved by the House Armed Services Committee on July 15 reflects the $848.2 billion requested by the Pentagon, which tees up a debate between the chambers.
Additionally, both the House and Senate must wade through a considerable slate of amendments to their respective bills.
The Senate will consider more than 980 proposed amendments items that were driven by members of this body. According to Wicker, 771 items are policy ideas directly coming from member input.
“I’m confident that leader soon will want to do things differently this week and next, we need an open amendment process undertaken in the light of day,” added the Mississippi Republican during remarks on the Senate floor.
Sens. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, have amendments that would accept the transfer of almost 600 Air Guardsmen to the Space Force but would stipulate it was on a “one-time” basis.
“All future force structure changes to National Guards of the various States shall be conducted in accordance with section 104 of Title 32, United States Code, and section 18238 of title 10, United States Code,” the amendment reads.
House lawmakers have submitted more than 900 amendments to their version of the NDAA.
There are several amendments pertaining to what Guard forces could or could not do on domestic deployments and their use in enforcement of immigration laws.
Another would repeal the executive order creating a standing Guard quick reaction force for rapid nationwide deployment for “quelling civil disturbances.”
The House is set to begin consideration of its version next week.
Before leaving for its August recess, the House passed a $831.5 billion defense appropriations bill. However, Senate appropriators approved nearly $853 billion for the Defense Department for fiscal 2026, a figure more than $21 billion more than the Pentagon request.
Resolving the difference is made even more difficult as a Sept. 30 deadline to fully fund the government is looming.
Congress must either pass a new budget for fiscal 2026 or a short-term extension that would leave agencies functioning at current 2024 spending levels.
Two special elections in the House could result in an even slimmer Republican majority.
—By Jennifer Hickey
