Current status (as of July 2026): S. 2296 passed the Senate on October 9, 2025, by a vote of 77–20, was received in the House on November 12, 2025, and remains "held at the desk" — its latest recorded action reads, verbatim: "Held at the desk." S. 2296 itself was never taken up by the House and was not enacted. The FY2026 NDAA did become law, however, through a different legislative vehicle: Congress moved the negotiated defense text as a House amendment to S. 1071, which the House passed 312–112 on December 10, 2025 (Roll no. 320) and the Senate agreed to 77–20 on December 17, 2025 (Record Vote 648). S. 1071 became Public Law 119-60 on December 18, 2025.

S. 2296, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (NDAA), is the Senate's version of the annual bill Congress uses to set defense policy. It establishes policies and authorization levels for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, military construction, and the national security programs of the Department of Energy for FY2026, and it authorizes the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board for the year. It was reported by the Senate Armed Services Committee and is sponsored by its chairman, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS). This page tracks where the bill stands; when LegislationPatch publishes a full analysis of the FY2026 NDAA, it will be linked here.

Where S. 2296 Stands

The Senate Armed Services Committee reported the bill as an original measure on July 15, 2025 (Senate Report 119-39), and it was placed on the Senate calendar. Its path across the Senate floor was recorded as follows:

  • September 2, 2025: The Senate invoked cloture on the motion to proceed by a vote of 84–14 (Record Vote 500).
  • September 4, 2025: The motion to proceed to the bill was agreed to, 83–13 (Record Vote 503).
  • October 9, 2025: The Senate passed the bill, with an amendment, by a vote of 77–20 (Record Vote 570).
  • November 10–12, 2025: The Senate sent the measure to the House, which received it and held it at the desk.
  • December 10–18, 2025: The negotiated FY2026 NDAA text moved through a different vehicle, S. 1071, which passed the House 312–112 (Roll no. 320), cleared the Senate 77–20 (Record Vote 648), and became Public Law 119-60 on December 18, 2025. S. 2296 itself stayed at the desk.

An authorization bill authorizes programs and sets policy but does not itself provide the money; that is done separately through appropriations legislation. So the NDAA answers "what defense programs are authorized and at what levels," while appropriations bills provide the actual budget authority.

What the FY2026 NDAA Authorizes

According to the bill's official summary, S. 2296, among other elements, would: authorize the procurement of items including aircraft, ships, and missiles; set active-duty and reserve-component personnel strength levels; authorize specified military construction projects and extend certain prior-year projects; require DOD to develop a strategy on the national security implications of emerging biotechnologies; require the Navy to adopt processes to improve the material condition and combat readiness of surface ships repaired at private shipyards; extend the Pacific Deterrence Initiative through FY2026; and repeal various statutory provisions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion within DOD, including a provision establishing the position of Chief Diversity Officer of DOD.

What "Held at the Desk" Means and What Happens Next

Each chamber produces its own NDAA. The Senate passed S. 2296; the House takes up its own defense authorization bill. When one chamber sends a passed bill to the other, "held at the desk" means the receiving chamber has formally received it but has not referred it to committee or taken it up — often a placeholder while the two chambers work toward a single, reconciled version.

To become law, the House and Senate must ultimately agree on identical text — historically through a conference committee or an exchange of amendments — and the President must sign it. That is what happened here, but under a different bill number: S. 2296 itself never advanced past the House desk. Instead, the negotiated FY2026 NDAA text moved as a House amendment to S. 1071 — a Senate bill already at the House — which passed the House 312–112 on December 10, 2025, cleared the Senate 77–20 on December 17, and became Public Law 119-60 on December 18, 2025. Using an available bill as the vehicle for a negotiated final text is a common end-stage maneuver. See how a bill becomes law for the reconciliation step.

Who Supported S. 2296, Who Voted No, and Why

The Senate passed the FY2026 NDAA 77–20 on October 9, 2025, after invoking cloture 84–14 — a bipartisan margin, but with a bloc of dissent worth reading. The pattern held to the end: when the negotiated final text returned in December as an amendment to S. 1071, the Senate agreed to it by an identical 77–20 tally.

Why did supporters back the bill?

S. 2296 was reported by the Senate Armed Services Committee and is sponsored by its chairman, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), who pressed to bring it to the floor ahead of a bipartisan amendments agreement that cleared the way for passage. The 77–20 passage and 84–14 cloture votes drew most Republicans and a majority of Democrats. After the final version cleared the Senate in December, Wicker and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI) jointly commended its passage. Wicker said, "Not since the era of World War II has our nation faced an axis of aggressors across multiple theaters seeking to dismantle American influence," calling the bill "a reflection of that reality and an appropriate response" and arguing it contains "the most sweeping upgrades to the Pentagon's business practices in 60 years." Supporters argue the annual authorization is a must-pass measure that sets military pay, policy, and procurement for the year.

Why did 20 senators vote no?

The 20 no votes on October 9 came from 18 Democrats, one independent (Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont), and one Republican (Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky). Most of the dissent from the left centered on the size of the defense topline: Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) said he opposed handing "the Pentagon a trillion-dollar spending package" and called the budget "bloated" and "wasteful"; Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) said he "voted against the excessive military spending in the NDAA"; and Sen. Bernie Sanders offered an amendment, which failed, to cut the Pentagon budget by 10 percent and redirect the savings to veterans' dental care. Sen. Rand Paul was the lone Republican to vote no. Beyond the topline, the provisions repealing DOD diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and requirements drew objection from some members, while supporters describe those changes as refocusing the department. The December vote on the final text drew the same 77–20 division.

Primary Sources