US President Donald Trump on Thursday, signed into law a nearly $1 trillion annual defense policy bill, authorizing a record $901 billion in military spending.
He also cemented his ”Peace Through Strength” agenda by imposing new restrictions on the Pentagon’s leadership.
The fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was signed in a quiet White House proceeding, following a bipartisan 77-20 vote in the Senate on Wednesday and earlier approval in the House.
The final figure Is approximately $8 billion more than the Trump administration initially requested.
“This legislation will enable the Department to carry out my Peace Through Strength agenda, protect the homeland from domestic and foreign threats, and strengthen the defense industrial base,”
Trump said in a lengthy signing statement, while adding that the law would eliminate “wasteful and radical programs” that he argued undermined the military’s warfighting ethos.
The 3,086-page bill includes significant funding for hardware and personnel, while codifying several of the president’s executive orders.
The proposal provides a 3.8% troop pay raise, fully funds the “Golden Dome” missile defense system, allocates $89 billion for ships, aircraft, and munitions, and eliminates Pentagon DEI offices while cutting $1.6 billion in climate spending
Despite the president’s support, the bill includes “guardrail” provisions inserted by lawmakers to restrain executive authority in Europe.
It bars the commander-in-chief from reducing U.S. troop levels in Europe below 76,000 without allied consultation and authorizes $800 million in aid for Ukraine over the next two years.
The legislation also takes a sharp turn toward congressional oversight of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
One provision withholds 25% of the secretary’s travel budget until the Pentagon provides unedited footage of controversial boat strikes near Venezuela, following reports of civilian deaths during drug interdiction missions in September.
While Trump noted his pleasure with the bill’s “critical objectives,” his signing statement flagged several sections as potential “constitutional concerns,” specifically those that purport to restrict presidential authority over troop deployments and foreign affairs.
