President Trump signed a nearly $901 billion defense bill into law on December 18, 2025, cementing the 65th consecutive year Congress has passed a National Defense Authorization Act. The measure delivers troops a 3.8% pay raise, locks in $800 million in weapons support for Ukraine over two years, sets troop floors in Europe and South Korea that defy Trump's withdrawal instincts, and rewires how the Pentagon buys weapons through sweeping acquisition reforms branded as the SPEED Act. It also repeals the 2002 Iraq War authorization while embedding Trump-era cuts to climate and diversity programs across the military.
Yet the bill's passage leaves unfinished business: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has refused to release unedited footage of the September 2 Caribbean boat strike that killed two unarmed survivors, defying bipartisan pressure and triggering threats to withhold part of his travel budget. House Armed Services chair Mike Rogers closed his inquiry after viewing classified video, declaring the operation legal, but Senate Democrats and some Republicans continue demanding transparency. The split outcome—major policy wins for procurement reform and allied support, partial defeat on war-crimes accountability—tests whether Congress can enforce oversight when the executive branch invokes secrecy.
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People Involved
Donald Trump
President of the United States (Signed the FY2026 NDAA into law, cementing his defense agenda while preserving Ukraine aid he once questioned.)
Pete Hegseth
U.S. Secretary of Defense (Refuses to release boat‑strike video publicly despite bipartisan pressure; faces potential travel‑budget restrictions under new NDAA.)
Mike Rogers
Chair, House Armed Services Committee (Closed House Armed Services inquiry into boat strikes after viewing classified footage, declaring operation legal.)
Adam Smith
Ranking Member, House Armed Services Committee (Continues pressing for transparency on boat strikes despite Rogers closing House probe; supports NDAA passage but demands accountability.)
Organizations Involved
U.
U.S. House of Representatives
Legislative body
Status: Passed both its own NDAA and the final compromise bill with bipartisan majorities.
The House is the front line where Trump’s defense agenda, culture wars and oversight demands collide each NDAA season.
UN
United States Senate
Legislative Body
Status: Passed final NDAA 77–20 on December 17, preserving 65-year streak and sending bill to Trump.
The Senate is the backstop that must bless the House’s hard‑fought NDAA deal or reopen the fight.
U.
U.S. Department of Defense
Federal Agency
Status: Gains record $901 billion authorization and acquisition reforms; faces travel‑budget restrictions if boat‑strike footage not provided to Congress.
The Pentagon gains money and authority in the NDAA even as Congress tightens the leash on how it fights and buys.
HO
House Armed Services Committee
Congressional committee
Status: Drafted the SPEED‑branded NDAA and is leading oversight of the boat‑strike campaign.
HASC turned the 2026 NDAA into both a procurement overhaul and an accountability tool for controversial operations.
WH
White House
Executive Office
Status: Trump signed NDAA into law December 18, codifying parts of more than a dozen executive orders.
The Trump White House drives the policy shocks — boat strikes, DEI cuts, climate rollbacks — that the NDAA now codifies or constrains.
Timeline
Trump signs FY2026 NDAA into law, preserving 65‑year streak
Legislation
President signs $901 billion defense authorization bill, touting it as enabling his 'Peace Through Strength agenda' while eliminating 'wasteful and radical programs.' The law codifies parts of more than a dozen executive orders, including restrictions on DEI programs and deployment of troops to the border.
Senate passes NDAA 77–20, sending bill to Trump
Legislation
The Senate approves the House-amended $901 billion defense policy bill in a bipartisan vote, clearing the way for presidential signature. The measure includes Ukraine aid, troop deployment limits in Europe and South Korea, and boat-strike oversight provisions.
Hegseth refuses public release of boat‑strike video
Statement
Defense Secretary tells reporters the Pentagon will not release 'top-secret, full, unedited video' of the September 2 follow-on strike to the public, saying only 'appropriate' congressional committees will see the footage. The decision draws bipartisan criticism, including from Senate Republicans Lindsey Graham and Rand Paul.
NDAA framed as congressional rebuke to Trump’s doubts on Europe
Analysis
Analysis notes the bill’s troop floors in Europe and South Korea and multi‑year Ukraine aid as one of the strongest congressional assertions of allied commitments in years, even as it adopts Trump‑backed domestic cuts.
House passes final $900B NDAA with Ukraine aid and boat‑strike oversight
Legislation
On a 312–112 vote, the House approves a nearly $900 billion defense bill with a 3.8% troop pay raise, baseline weapons funding for Ukraine, limits on troop cuts in Europe and South Korea, major procurement reforms, steep cuts to climate and DEI programs, and a provision threatening 25% of the defense secretary’s travel budget unless unedited boat‑strike videos and orders are turned over.
Poll shows broad U.S. unease over Venezuela boat strikes
Public Opinion
A Reuters/Ipsos survey finds nearly half of Americans oppose the lethal boat‑strike campaign without judicial authorization, and support for the operation splits sharply along partisan lines.
House Armed Services chair Rogers closes boat‑strike probe
Investigation
Rep. Mike Rogers declares his inquiry into the September 2 strike is 'done,' saying classified video and Pentagon briefings convinced him the operation was legal. His decision does not end Senate or House Democratic inquiries, and the NDAA provisions demanding footage remain in force.
Hegseth defends strikes, refuses to commit to releasing video
Statement
Speaking at the Reagan Library, Hegseth praises the boat‑strike campaign and says officials are ‘reviewing’ whether to release footage, while insisting he has no regrets.
Lawmakers watch second‑strike video behind closed doors
Investigation
Top military officials brief congressional leaders and show footage of the follow‑on strike; some lawmakers describe the killing of shipwrecked sailors as one of the most disturbing things they have seen in office.
Report alleges Hegseth ‘kill everybody’ order in boat strike
Exposure
The Washington Post reports that Secretary Hegseth verbally ordered commanders to kill all 11 people on the September 2 boat, and that a second strike was launched to eliminate survivors, prompting accusations of murder and war crimes.
Senate passes its own NDAA, keeping 65‑year streak alive
Legislation
The Senate approves an NDAA emphasizing competition with China and support for Ukraine, setting up negotiations with the House.
House passes first NDAA version on party‑tilted lines
Legislation
The House approves H.R. 3838 by 231–196, with Democrats objecting to cuts in climate and DEI programs and expanded Trump authorities.
Caribbean ‘drug boat’ strike kills 11, survivors hit in second attack
Military Operation
U.S. forces destroy a suspected narco‑trafficking boat near Venezuela and, after two men survive, conduct a second strike that kills them while they cling to wreckage, becoming the flashpoint of the later scandal.
House Armed Services advances NDAA after marathon markup
Legislation
The committee passes a bipartisan NDAA that promises faster acquisition and higher troop pay, while embedding conservative priorities on climate and diversity.
House NDAA introduced as SPEED procurement overhaul
Legislation
Rep. Mike Rogers introduces H.R. 3838, the SPEED and FY2026 NDAA bill, marrying weapons‑buying reforms with the annual defense authorization framework.
Scenarios
1
Trump Signs NDAA, Locking In Record Defense Budget and Baseline Ukraine Aid
Discussed by: Reuters, the Guardian, Hogan Lovells policy briefings, congressional leaders in both parties
The Senate quickly approves the House‑amended bill and sends it to Trump, who has already said he will sign it. This preserves the 65‑year streak of passing an NDAA, cements the nearly $900 billion top line and procurement overhaul, and hard‑codes at least $400 million per year in weapons support for Ukraine alongside troop floors in Europe and South Korea. Culture‑war cuts to climate and DEI programs survive largely intact, while oversight of the boat‑strike campaign is limited to document and video demands rather than hard operational limits.
2
Boat‑Strike Footage Goes Public, Forcing War‑Crimes Probes and a Hegseth Showdown
Discussed by: The Washington Post, the Guardian, CBS News, Al Jazeera, legal scholars and former JAGs
If unedited video of the September 2 second strike leaks or is released under pressure, the images of unarmed men clinging to wreckage being killed by U.S. fire could trigger a political firestorm beyond the current elite‑level debate. Human‑rights groups, international bodies and Congress would face intense pressure to launch formal investigations into whether Hegseth’s alleged ‘kill everybody’ instruction was a war crime. That in turn could produce calls for his resignation or even impeachment‑style proceedings, sharpen Democratic demands to restrict Trump’s claimed wartime authority against cartels and complicate future NDAA negotiations.
3
Senate Revolt Forces Last‑Minute Changes on Social Policy and Flight Rules
Discussed by: Senators critical of DEI cuts and DC airspace provisions, coverage in the Washington Post and regional outlets
Several senators in both parties have objected to provisions cutting DEI funding and easing military flight restrictions over Washington after a deadly midair collision. If they band together, they could insist on stripping or softening those sections before final passage, potentially sending the bill back to the House and extending talks into 2026. That would risk breaking the NDAA’s annual streak and give Trump leverage to demand further concessions. So far, leadership signals they prefer to swallow the compromises, making a full‑blown Senate revolt and prolonged standoff less likely unless public outrage spikes.
4
Boat‑Strike Video Leaks, Reigniting War‑Crimes Debate and Congressional Backlash
Discussed by: Senate Democrats, some Republicans including Lindsey Graham and Rand Paul, human‑rights groups, investigative journalists
If the classified footage of the September 2 second strike leaks despite Hegseth's refusal to release it, graphic images of U.S. forces killing unarmed survivors could spark a major scandal. Public outrage might force renewed congressional hearings, criminal referrals to military justice authorities or even calls for Hegseth's resignation. The video's emergence would also test whether the NDAA's travel‑budget penalty has teeth and could embolden whistleblowers or legislators to demand broader reviews of Trump's entire narco‑terrorism legal framework.
Historical Context
Goldwater–Nichols and the 1980s Defense Reform Wave
1983–1986
What Happened
After a series of military failures and procurement scandals, Congress passed the Goldwater–Nichols Act, restructuring the Pentagon to strengthen joint command and streamline decision‑making. Alongside the Packard Commission, it aimed to cut bureaucracy, improve acquisitions and restore public confidence in the military.
Outcome
Short Term
The reforms centralized operational authority under combatant commanders and began a long process of tweaking acquisition rules.
Long Term
Goldwater–Nichols became the template for later reform pushes, though complaints about slow, wasteful procurement never disappeared.
Why It's Relevant Today
Today’s NDAA promises another procurement revolution; past efforts show how hard it is to turn reform rhetoric into faster, cheaper weapons.
Authorization and Repeal Battles Over the Iraq War Powers
2002–2023
What Happened
In 2002, Congress authorized war against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, a vote many legislators later regretted as the conflict dragged on and the authorization was repurposed for unrelated operations. By the 2010s and 2020s, bipartisan coalitions moved to repeal the outdated AUMFs, warning they were blank checks for presidents.
Outcome
Short Term
Senate votes and House bills advanced repeal efforts, reflecting fatigue with open‑ended war powers and pressure from antiwar advocates.
Long Term
The push to repeal Iraq authorizations reset expectations that Congress should regularly revisit, and sometimes rescind, old war permissions.
Why It's Relevant Today
By finally repealing the 2002 Iraq authorization inside the NDAA, Congress is both closing one chapter of the war on terror and signaling unease with Trump’s expansive legal claims for new kinds of strikes.
Post‑9/11 Drone Strikes and the Global War on Terror
2002–2016
What Happened
Under Presidents Bush and Obama, the U.S. conducted drone strikes against suspected terrorists in countries where it was not formally at war, relying on broad AUMFs and secret legal memos. Civilian deaths, opaque targeting criteria and ‘signature strikes’ generated global backlash and legal challenges.
Outcome
Short Term
Some oversight mechanisms and public guidelines emerged, but the basic model of remote targeted killing remained.
Long Term
The normalization of extraterritorial strikes blurred lines between war and law enforcement and became a template for later operations.
Why It's Relevant Today
The boat‑strike campaign borrows the same logic of global, preemptive killing of alleged threats far from U.S. battlefields, so earlier drone controversies preview today’s legal and moral fights over Trump’s narco‑terrorism rationale.
