House Armed Services passes NDAA measures on DoD, NNSA

The House Armed Services Committee Tuesday approved fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) provisions to, among other things, create a new Rapid Capabilities Program within the National Nuclear Security Administration.

The provision within the committee’s Strategic Forces subcommittee segment of the markup, is meant “to enhance our ability to respond to growing nuclear threats from China and Russia,” said Subcommittee Chair Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.).

The House Armed Services’ nuclear policy bill for fiscal 2026 would authorize $25.4 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). The House Armed Services bill would also codify NNSA plans for plutonium pit production at two locations: Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and the Savannah River Site in South Carolina.

Late in the hours-long markup, the committee voted down a proposed amendment by Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) that would have negated current timetables for producing 80 plutonium pits per year. NNSA is not going to reach 80 pits per year by 2030 or, for that matter, 2035. Republicans who spoke against the measure said the California Democrat unsuccessfully proposed a similar measure last year. 

The House Committee’s NDAA bill would also support the Golden Dome, a proposed U.S. anti-missile system proposed by President Donald Trump. The system would be akin to one employed by Israel.

There was skepticism expressed about the case for and implementation of the Golden Dome by Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), the ranking Democrat on the Strategic Forces subcommittee.

It appears to reflect the Trump administration’s drift toward a philosophy “that we would try to defeat, not deter, a large-scale nuclear attack,” Moulton said. The White House has not offered a “rationale” or a plan for the Golden Dome, he said.

“And yet, we are throwing upwards of $25 billion in taxpayer money to the wind or, more accurately, into space,” Moulton said. “That is dangerous and, I dare say, dumb.”

Aside from the Golden Dome provision, however, the overall bill is good and “largely bipartisan,” Moulton said.

The full committee adopted by unanimous consent a large bloc of amendments from Strategic Forces. One such bloc backs NNSA plans for modernization of the Office of Secure Transportation; improving warhead assembly and disassembly practices at the Pantex Plant in Texas; and a report on adequacy of the NNSA workforce.

The NNSA administrator would be required to brief House Armed Services by Feb. 1, 2026 on the workforce’s ability to carry out the NNSA mission, according to the amendment.

Debate on various amendments continued past 5 p.m. Eastern Time.

Exchange Monitor affiliate Defense Daily contributed to this report.