BGOV OnPoint: Defense Policy Bill Talks Heat Up in Congress

Congressional defense leaders are working to produce a compromise version of the fiscal 2026 national defense authorization measure by Thanksgiving.

The leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees — Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) — are aiming to meet this week as part of the negotiations over the bill, which needs to be enacted by the end of the year when most defense authorities expire.

They have several key differences to navigate, including a $32 billion boost in the Senate bill over both the House bill ...