Majority Leader | Research | The Leader Board | THE NEWSR...Skip to primary navigation Skip to content×Close THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNE×Close THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNExxsearchxMENUFacebookXInstagramFacebookXInstagramVisit Leader Thune's South Dakota Site Here THE NEWSROOMRemarks Press Releases The Leader Board Op-Eds Videos SENATE RESOURCESRepublican Senators Committees Congressional Record Congress.gov Senate Floor Webcast ABOUT LEADER THUNExxsearchxMENUHomeTHE NEWSROOMThe Leader Board12.17.25Senate Passes the NDAA, Codifying President Trump’s “Peace Through Strength” AgendaThe Bipartisan FY26 National Defense Authorization Act Addresses Several Longstanding Republican Priorities and Positions America’s Military to Meet the Challenges of the 21st Century AMERICANS WANT THE U.S. TO HAVE THE STRONGEST MILITARY IN THE WORLD, AND THIS YEAR’S NDAA POSITIONS AMERICA’S MILITARY FOR JUST THAT“[T]his annual defense bill is critical to ensuring the United States military is prepared for any threat that we face. And not just the threats that may come in the next year. It’s about putting us on a path that will ensure our military can deter – and if necessary, defeat – any threat that may arise in the future.” – Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.)“This NDAA helps us align the priorities of the U.S. military with the threats of today, and they are serious – serious threats from the People's Republic of China and the entire axis of aggressors that it leads and partners with. It makes war fighting a top priority of the department. And it reinforces a culture of merit in the armed forces.” – Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)“As President Reagan’s legacy of peace through strength endures, Americans continue to support active U.S. leadership. A solid majority wants the United States to be more engaged and take the lead in international affairs (64%).” (Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute: 2025 Reagan National Defense Survey – accessed 12/17/25)“A supermajority believes American military superiority matters: 87% say it is important that the United States have the most powerful military in the world, and 71% agree the world is more likely to achieve peace when the United States is the strongest power.” (Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute: 2025 Reagan National Defense Survey – accessed 12/17/25)“[The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)] is considered must-pass legislation every year, as it authorizes the budgets for both the military and the Department of Energy’s nuclear weapons programs. In addition to funding, the bill includes hundreds of pages of defense policy changes that Congress has compiled over the last year.” (National Review: The 2026 NDAA Is Stuffed with Solid Defense Policy – 12/15/25)The NDAA has successfully been enacted for 64 consecutive years, and this year will be the 65th. (U.S. Congress: Defense Primer: The NDAA Process – 1/6/25)This year’s NDAA is strongly bipartisan:Last week, the bill passed the House by a 312-112 vote. (The Hill: House overwhelmingly passes $900B annual Defense bill – 12/10/25)On Wednesday, the Senate voted to pass the NDAA by a 77-20 vote. (Senate Cloakroom: post on X – 12/17/25)THE NDAA SUPPORTS PRESIDENT TRUMP’S VISION TO STRENGTHEN AMERICA’S MILITARY AND ADDRESSES SEVERAL CONSERVATIVE PRIORITIES“As commander in chief, my focus is on building the most powerful military of the future. As a first step, I’m asking Congress to fund a state of the art ‘golden dome’ missile defense shield to protect our homeland.” –President Donald TrumpThis year’s NDAA “[f]ully supports President Trump’s top priorities, including the Golden Dome, F-47 fighter aircraft, submarines, warships, and autonomous systems.” (House Armed Services Committee: The FY26 NDAA: Implementing President Trump’s Peace Through Strength Agenda – accessed 12/17/25)The NDAA accelerates the rebuilding of America’s “Arsenal of Democracy:”“Expands the authorities of the Industrial Base Fund and Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program” to accelerate American reindustrialization and regain a global edge in defense manufacturing.“Authorizes multi-year procurements for a number of key munitions programs.”“Updates U.S. national missile defense policy to reflect the goals of the Golden Dome initiative.”“Authorizes additional funding for air and missile defense development and testing, including full funding for procurement of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), SM3-IIA, and Patriot missile defense systems.”“Requires a plan to implement critical munitions requirements to fight simultaneous conflicts…” (U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services: Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act Executive Overview – accessed 12/17/25)Americans overwhelmingly support these initiatives: 68% support the development of the Golden Dome, “[n]early two-thirds (64%) say the U.S. military should be sized to fight and win two wars at once,” and 88% “believe the United States needs greater manufacturing capacity.” (Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute: Reagan National Defense Survey Shows Record Public Support for Taiwan, Ukraine, NATO, and U.S. Global Leadership – 12/4/25)The bill also enacts conservative wins: “Lawmakers say the FY 2026 bill overall will save taxpayers nearly $20 billion, including $40.5 million from eliminating DEI activities; $1.6 billion in cuts to climate change-related spending; $1.2 billion from retiring obsolete aircraft and ships; $6.8 billion from reductions in ‘unnecessary Pentagon bureaucracy’; $5.5 billion in cuts to consulting and service contracts; and $3.7 billion in cuts to inefficient defense programs.” (Military.com – 12/11/25)The NDAA also makes historic improvements to the Pentagon by cutting red tape and encouraging innovation:“Adopt[s] key provisions of the FORGED Act that prioritize commercial acquisition, eliminate bureaucracy and statutory barriers, support portfolio management, and expand the industrial base, particularly for commercial companies and startups.” (U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services: Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act Executive Overview – accessed 12/17/25)“For decades, we have levied a crazy, years-long bureaucratic process to qualify new parts and types of weapons for military use. That process rewards the status quo and severely discourages competition. This bill will create a new streamlined process for qualification, pairing it with a new $1 billion fund from the reconciliation bill. Taken together, we will dramatically improve competition at the Pentagon and protect against price-gouging.” – Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)REPUBLICANS’ LEADERSHIP IN MOVING THE NDAA THROUGH CONGRESS IS A STARK DEPARTURE FROM LEADER SCHUMER’S CONSISTENT POLITICIZATION OF THE PROCESSEarlier this fall when the Senate was considering the NDAA, Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) forced the Senate to take a political show vote on an issue completely unrelated to defense policy:“In a surprise move, Schumer teed up a procedural vote on a measure directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to make public any available documents that the Justice Department possesses related to Epstein and his associates. Schumer filed the proposal as an amendment to a sweeping defense policy now being debated in the Senate.” (Politico: Schumer moves to force Senate vote on Epstein files – 9/10/25)“Thune and his leadership team were in the process of negotiating amendments when Schumer jumped in front of the line by offering his Epstein-related proposal.” (The Hill: Schumer ambushes Republicans with amendment to force vote on Epstein files – 9/10/25)“Republicans also say that Schumer’s move… to force a vote on releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files — which he triggered as part of the ongoing NDAA floor process — was an affront to the bipartisanship normally seen during this annual defense policy debate.”(Punchbowl News: AM: Johnson's to-do list for Tuesday – 9/16/25)This wasn’t the first time Schumer prioritized politics over national security: In 2024, the NDAA was voted out of committee in mid-June with a 22-3 vote but was not considered on the Senate floor until the very end of the year. (Washington Examiner: Senate committee ignores budget caps as it advances $923 billion defense policy bill – 6/17/24)Instead, at the direction of then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrats were focused on scoring political points and wasting the Senate’s time on meaningless show votes:“Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is embracing the art of the ‘show vote’ to boost his vulnerable incumbents this summer.” (Punchbowl News: AM: Are House Republicans setting themselves up to fail? – 6/5/24)“Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is leaning hard into his political instincts in a bid to preserve his party's tenuous hold on the chamber — and provide election talking points for Democrats in Congress and beyond… Schumer’s tactics are unlikely to result in much legislative progress in the coming months…” (Axios: Schumer's 2024 "show vote" strategy targets GOP – 6/6/24)Democrats have attempted to limit or outright kneecap any effort to strengthen America’s military, in the name of appeasing their far-left base: In 2024, a majority of House Democrats and 11 Senate Democrats voted against the NDAA due to language restricting transgender medical procedures and therapies for children. (Politico: House passes major Pentagon bill despite Dem revolt over transgender health care – 12/11/24; The Hill: Senate passes $895B Defense bill; some Dems defect over transgender fight – 12/18/24)PrintEmailTweetNextPreviousTHE NEWSROOMSENATE RESOURCESABOUT LEADER THUNEFacebookXInstagram
