WASHINGTON — In an unusual turn of events, the final text of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) faces significant delays as key Congressional Republicans grapple with politically charged amendments unrelated to traditional Pentagon policy. Originally scheduled for Thursday’s mark, this fiscal must-pass legislation is now stalled over last-minute debates involving housing affordability measures, proposed U.S.-China investment restrictions, and expanded fertility coverage under the military health program TRICARE.
House Speaker French Hill of Arkansas made a pointed statement regarding one major addition: “Our conference has not seen any text [on the Senate’s ROAD Act],” he noted on Wednesday. “Therefore, it’s unclear how we could support its inclusion in the NDAA.”
The administration-backed housing initiative, designed to address rising costs for service members, stands as the central sticking point delaying negotiations. President Donald Trump voiced strong backing, suggesting it would be a popular move ahead of next year’s midterm elections, but GOP leaders seem hesitant without full review and agreement on procedural details.
Compounding these challenges are other proposals drawing opposition: restrictions targeting U.S. investments in China—a measure with clear national-security implications—and an expansion of IVF coverage under TRICARE that concerns some Republicans regarding pro-life principles. Speaker Johnson from Louisiana suggested conditional support for the latter, indicating backing only “when sufficient pro-life protections are in place.”
Despite both House and Senate Armed Services committees reportedly finishing their work on the core bill—which historically passes with broad bipartisan agreement—Congressional gridlock persists. A notable casualty of these delays was a proposed moratorium on state-level AI regulations that Speaker Hill’s leadership had initially supported, but failed to garner enough backing for inclusion.
The current timetable pushes passage by “the end of this weekend” at the earliest according to sources speaking anonymously. With a narrow Republican majority in the House and persistent divisions over unrelated provisions, lawmakers face substantial hurdles if these contentious add-ons remain unresolved.
