After two days of debate, the House’s version of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed the House floor mainly on party lines at 216-212.
The defense policy bill, which also sets spending caps for certain defense-related appropriations, would authorize $32.76 billion in funding for the Department of Energy’s semi-autonomous National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
It would also authorize $160 million for DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy.
Though debate ensued Tuesday and Wednesday, no nuclear reactor-based amendments, such as microreactors deployed at military installations, were discussed. However, nuclear amendments related to DOE’s semi-autonomous National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) were passed. The NDAA would authorize $32.76 billion in funding for NNSA.
The House headed to recess Thursday, July 23 until Aug. 31, while the Senate starts its recess Aug. 7 and comes back Sept. 11.
Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.), chairman of the House Armed Services Strategic Forces subcommittee, spoke in favor of the bill. “This legislation authorizes full funding to keep modernizing the nation’s nuclear forces, as well as the Department of Energy’s scientific and production capabilities, upon which our deterrent depends,” he said. “It also improves acquisition flexibility for the nuclear enterprise and refocuses statutory requirements related to plutonium pit production on the long-term need for the deterrent.”
House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-Wash.) last week signaled his likely opposition and did end up voting against the fiscal ‘27 NDAA over concerns with the large topline increase, the lack of floor consideration for Democrat-proposed amendments related to Iran war oversight and the Trump administration’s strike campaign on drug boats and the inclusion of “toxic, partisan amendments that continue the rightwing culture war assault on the LGBTQ+ community and preempt state and local laws under the guise of military readiness.”
Ultimately, just six House Democrats and Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-Calif.) joined nearly all Republicans in voting to approve the annual defense policy legislation. A total of seven GOP members sided with the majority of Democrats in opposing the bill.