The House Armed Services Committee Thursday voted 44-12 to advance the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would authorize $32.76 billion in funding for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
That is just a little less than the White House requested for fiscal 2027 at $32.80 billion, and almost $7 billion more than the fiscal 2026 NDAA authorized at $26 billion. It is also around $5 billion more than the House Appropriations Committee requested in its Energy and Water bill.
The annual defense policy bill, which sets spending limits for major defense programs, now heads to the House floor for consideration after 14 hours of debate, which ended at midnight.
“The broader bill authorizes full funding to keep modernizing the nation’s nuclear forces and, in particular, it supports the budget’s significant increase in funding to invest in the Department of Energy’s scientific and production capabilities upon which our nuclear deterrent depends,” Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.), chair of the Strategic Forces subcommittee, said in remarks at the markup.
DesJarlais added the bill “includes legislative proposals developed with the executive branch to improve acquisition flexibility for the Air Force’s ICBM [intercontinental ballistic missile] programs and the National Nuclear Security Administration.” He said the bill also “refocuses statutory requirements related to plutonium pit production on the long-term needs for the nation to continue to field a modern and effective nuclear deterrent.”
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), ranking member of the Strategic Forces subcommittee, said, “while I firmly believe this world would be a better place without nuclear weapons, reality is that they are a key component of strategic stability in today’s violence. We are also now dealing with two near-term nuclear arms and measures we have never before, and that is why, as part of the fact that it marks a huge modern-day effort to cause violence.”
Moulton added, “however, I will continue to question whether we have the right now, and we are investing in capabilities that will contribute to the strategic stability, or the most important of the future, as we have these tough conversations, and ensure that we aren’t blindly pushing forward towards a nuclear arms race.”
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), whose district abuts the Savannah River Site, praised the bill to the Exchange Monitor Thursday in the halls of the Capitol. “There’re multiple insertions, particularly plutonium pit production. A two-site solution is going to be very critical that it’d be restated,” he said.
Under the NNSA account, weapons activities would be authorized $27.6 billion, slightly more than the White House’s request of $27.4 billion, about $5.5 billion more than the House committee requested and around $7 billion more than fiscal 2026 enacted levels.
Defense nuclear nonproliferation would be authorized around $2.4 billion, the same as the White House’s request and fiscal 2026 enacted levels, but around $300 million more than the House committee requested.
Federal salaries and expenses would be authorized $577 million, also the same as the White House’s request. And naval reactors would be authorized $2.2 billion, slightly less than the White House’s request of $2.4 billion.
For the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, $45 million would be authorized, the same as the White House’s request.
The nuclear-armed, sea-launched cruise missile would be authorized a $175 million cap, compared to $0 in the White House’s request and to $210 million in fiscal 2026.
Atomic energy defense activities would be authorized $41 billion, around $47 million less than the White House’s request.
Nuclear weapons modernization would be authorized $23 million, the same as the White House requested. Nuclear command, control and communications would be authorized $2.9 million, also the same as the White House requested.
In addition to procuring one Columbia-class submarine this year, Seapower and Project Forces subcommittee chairman Rep. Trent Kelly (R-Miss.) said the bill accounts for “investing in advance procurement for future Columbia deliveries,” and he is “excited that we are procuring two Virginia-class submarines.”
For the ICBM, the bill would authorize the Secretary of the Air Force to transfer amounts from fiscal 2027 onward from the “Research, Development, Test and Evaluation,” “Air Force; Missile Procurement,” and “Air Force, Operation and Maintenance” to accounts related to ICBM modernization. The Secretary would need to notify congressional defense committees before doing so.
Additionally, the Strategic Forces subcommittee print, which goes into more detail on nuclear programs than the chairman’s mark, includes a provision directing the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to the House Armed Services Committee on the department’s efforts on reducing nuclear risk with China. The report would be due March 1, 2027.
A provision of the NDAA calls for a brief to the House Armed Services panel on the relationship between the Pantex Plant and the nearby Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport in Texas.
“The committee understands that changes in NNSA’s security posture and operational tempo continue to evolve and appreciates NNSA’s ongoing engagement with local officials to consider options to keep pace with these changes and further enhance the strong partnership between the Amarillo community and the Pantex Plant,” according to the bill text. NNSA is directed to brief the committee no later than Nov. 1.