House passes $901B NDAA; FBI candidate-notice, border troop authority included
The House on Thursday passed a roughly $901 billion National Defense Authorization Act, 312–112, moving the bill to the Senate; the package includes a provision requiring the FBI to notify congressional leaders when it opens counterintelligence probes into federal candidates, codifies several Trump-era border authorities (including active-duty troop use at the U.S.–Mexico border) and imposes troop-floor restrictions for Europe and South Korea while providing roughly a 3.8–4% enlisted pay raise. The sprawling bill also targets China with tech bans and an outbound investment-screening regime, funds $400 million per year for Ukraine, withholds 25% of certain Pentagon travel funds until unedited maritime‑strike footage is released, and contains a provision to grant the Lumbee Tribe full federal recognition.
📌 Key Facts
- The House passed the annual defense bill (NDAA) authorizing roughly $901 billion; the rule earlier passed 215–211 and the final passage was 312–112, and the bill now heads to the Senate.
- The final bill requires the FBI to notify Congress within 15 days after opening a counterintelligence assessment or investigation into a presidential or other federal candidate or current elected official, naming the top four congressional leaders and the top Republican and Democrat on the House and Senate judiciary and intelligence committees, with an exception if any listed recipient is the target of the probe.
- The FBI-notification provision sparked an intra-GOP feud: Rep. Elise Stefanik accused Speaker Mike Johnson of removing the provision and lying about it; Johnson said it wasn’t on his radar and blamed miscommunication; GOP aides said they aligned language, and Stefanik later claimed a victory after discussions with Johnson and former President Trump — the provision was ultimately included.
- The package targets China with tech bans and an outbound investment‑screening regime, authorizes roughly $400 million per year for Ukraine over two years, and codifies about 15 Trump executive orders — including authorizing active‑duty troop use at the U.S.–Mexico border and deploying a 'Golden Dome' air/missile defense concept — while also imposing troop‑floor restrictions for Europe and South Korea.
- The bill contains significant oversight and policy riders: it withholds 25% of Defense Department travel funds for the secretary’s office until Armed Services committees receive unedited Southern Command maritime‑strike footage, compels overdue Pentagon reports (including a 'lessons learned' review on Ukraine), cuts climate programs, bans DEI programs at DoD, and strips an IVF expansion provision.
- It provides a roughly 3.8–4% pay raise for many service members and includes what supporters call an ambitious overhaul to speed Pentagon weapons acquisition.
- The NDAA includes language granting the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina full federal recognition — extending access to Indian Health Service, federal funding streams, and land‑into‑trust authority — a move opposed by some other tribes that say the defense bill is the wrong vehicle and question historical claims.
- Notable exclusions and next steps: provisions such as a CBDC ban and AI state‑preemption were not in the final package; the White House signaled strong support despite added oversight measures, while some Senate critics raised separate concerns (e.g., military flight restrictions), and the measure now moves to the Senate for consideration.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2023, racial and ethnic minority officers in the Army were promoted at slightly lower rates than White officers, with promotion gaps of 2.5% for Asian-American officers, 3.3% for Hispanic officers, 3.7% for Native American or Pacific Islander officers, and 4.3% for Black officers compared to White officers.
Racial disparity in Army officer promotions has improved since 2020, report finds — Stars and Stripes
In 2023, the active-duty military force was composed of approximately 67% White personnel, with 30.8% identifying with racial minority groups and 17.4% identifying as Hispanic or Latino.
Demographic Profile of the US Military Community — Veterans Breakfast Club
Federally recognized tribes, including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, oppose federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe due to concerns over the Lumbee's lack of historical continuity, absence of treaty relations with the US government, and dubious ancestral claims.
Cherokee chief testifies against Lumbee recognition — Smoky Mountain News
The unauthorized immigrant population in the US reached a record 14 million in 2023, with the number from countries other than Mexico growing from 6.4 million in 2021 to 9.7 million in 2023, representing about 3.5% of the total US population.
Record 14 Million Unauthorized Immigrants Lived in the US in 2023 — Pew Research Center
By mid-2023, the war in Ukraine led to significant demographic changes in Europe, with 1 million Ukrainian refugees in Germany and 976 thousand in Poland, increasing the foreign-born population in these countries, where Ukrainians are predominantly White and Slavic.
Latest European Demographic Data Sheet highlights lasting impact of war and migration — International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
📰 Sources (10)
- House passed the NDAA 312–112, authorizing roughly $900 billion and providing a 3.8% pay raise for many service members.
- Bill includes an overhaul of Pentagon weapons acquisition processes focused on speed; Rep. Adam Smith called it the 'most ambitious swing at acquisition reform' to date.
- White House signaled 'strong support' for the bill even as Congress adds oversight measures.
- The House version includes cuts to climate and DEI programs, repeals several old war authorizations, and demands more information on Caribbean boat strikes.
- Senate critics on both sides say the bill does not do enough to restrict military flights over Washington after the deadly midair collision near Reagan National; NTSB and victims’ families have voiced opposition to that section.
- House passed the NDAA 312–112; earlier rule passed 215–211 after several Republicans flipped to yes.
- Topline authorization is $901 billion; bill now heads to the Senate.
- Includes $400M per year in Ukraine funding for two years; withholds 25% of War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget until raw maritime-strike footage is provided.
- Confirms inclusion of FBI notification to Congress when opening probes into federal candidates.
- Confirms troop-floor restrictions for Europe and South Korea; enlisted troop pay raise of 4%.
- CBDC ban and AI state‑preemption provisions are not in the final package; IVF coverage not included.
- The NDAA package includes language to grant the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina full federal recognition.
- Federal recognition would extend access to Indian Health Service, federal funding streams, and land-into-trust authority to the ~60,000-member tribe.
- President Trump issued an executive order directing Interior to create a Lumbee recognition plan; Interior delivered a plan in April but advised the tribe to continue pursuing recognition through Congress.
- Opposition from other tribes (e.g., Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) argues the NDAA is not the appropriate vehicle and questions Lumbee historical claims.
- Lumbee Chairman John Lowery told the Senate Indian Affairs Committee that only Congress can definitively resolve the tribe’s status, calling for rectifying a 1956 law that recognized the Lumbee but denied federal services.
- House votes today on the ~$900B NDAA, which is $8B above the administration’s request.
- Bill codifies 15 Trump executive orders, including authorizing active-duty troop use at the U.S.–Mexico border and deploying a 'Golden Dome' air/missile defense concept.
- Prohibits DEI programs at DoD and includes a 3.8% military pay raise.
- Provision to withhold 25% of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel funds until unedited maritime-strike footage is delivered remains in the bill; Schumer publicly praised this oversight.
- Language barring transgender women from women’s athletics at service academies is included; an IVF expansion provision was stripped.
- The NDAA includes a new condition withholding 25% of the Defense Secretary’s office travel funds until Armed Services committees receive unedited video of Southern Command maritime strikes.
- It additionally compels overdue Pentagon reports, including a 'lessons learned' assessment on the Ukraine war.
- Defines a 15‑day deadline for the FBI to notify Congress after opening a counterintelligence assessment or investigation into a federal candidate or current elected official.
- Specifies the notification recipients: the top four congressional leaders plus the top Republican and top Democrat on both the House and Senate judiciary and intelligence committees.
- Includes an exception if any of those recipients is the target of the probe.
- Confirms Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan’s office says he has "always been 100% supportive" of the provision.
- House GOP leadership aides attribute earlier confusion to "miscommunication and misunderstandings" and say they worked with Stefanik and committees to align the language.
- Final NDAA includes a mandate for FBI disclosure when investigating presidential and other federal candidates.
- Rep. Elise Stefanik claimed victory on X after discussions with Speaker Mike Johnson and President Trump.
- The broader $900B NDAA package targets China with tech bans and an outbound investment screening regime.
- Axios reports a House GOP staffer says Speaker Johnson, not Democrats, ultimately pulled Stefanik’s FBI‑notification provision from the NDAA; a senior House Democrat says Johnson’s stance was independently reached.
- Johnson publicly says the issue wasn’t on his radar until Stefanik went public, claims chamber chairs and rankers didn’t agree, and says he supports the idea even if it was removed.
- Stefanik escalates her rhetoric, calling Johnson’s statements 'more lies' and accusing him of siding with Rep. Jamie Raskin after Raskin fought the provision.
- Specifics of the proposal: it would require the FBI to notify Congress when opening a counterintelligence investigation into federal candidates.
- Stefanik threatens to oppose the NDAA over the omission; with a razor‑thin GOP margin, losing two votes could imperil a party‑line passage.
- Context added: Stefanik blames Johnson for her scuttled UN ambassador nomination and alleges he delayed and killed it; Johnson denies this.
- Johnson said the issue “hasn’t even made it to my level” and claimed bipartisan House and Senate Judiciary leaders had not agreed to include the provision in the NDAA.
- Stefanik countered that the House Intelligence Committee has jurisdiction and accused Johnson of lying, urging him to “fix it.”
- CBS notes the House could vote on the NDAA as soon as next week, and Stefanik reiterated she will vote no if the provision is excluded.