Defense Policy

The House passed a roughly $900–901 billion NDAA 312–112 after a razor‑thin 215–211 rule vote, advancing a package that excludes provisions preempting state AI regulation and a ban on a U.S. central bank digital currency (CBDC). Conservatives threatened revolt over those omissions, and Speaker Mike Johnson secured support with last‑minute promises to pursue a CBDC ban and other measures later; the bill includes an AI Futures Steering Committee, outbound investment screening measures and drops a bipartisan military "right to repair" mandate. After Congress twice rejected AI preemption language, President Trump signed an executive order seeking to preempt state AI laws administratively, setting up likely legal challenges.

The House passed the roughly $901 billion NDAA 312–112, authorizing near‑$900B in defense spending — including a troop‑use authority for the U.S.–Mexico border, a roughly 3.8–4% military pay raise, measures targeting China (tech bans and outbound investment screening), federal recognition language for the Lumbee Tribe, restrictions on Pentagon travel funds until unedited maritime‑strike footage is released, and policy cuts on DEI and other items — and the bill now heads to the Senate. The package also contains a high‑profile, Stefanik‑backed provision requiring the FBI to notify top congressional leaders within 15 days when it opens counterintelligence assessments or investigations into federal candidates (with narrow recipient and target exceptions), a measure whose inclusion sparked a public GOP leadership dispute before being retained.