Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2026

Key Points

• This bill provides the money needed to run the U.S. military for the 2026 budget year. It covers pay and healthcare for millions of service members, plus the costs of training and daily operations for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force.
• A large portion of the money goes toward buying advanced equipment, including $36.9 billion for new ships and submarines. It also funds the purchase of aircraft, missiles, and ammunition to restock supplies and modernize the fleet.
• The plan includes $500 million to help Israel with its missile defense systems, like the Iron Dome, and another $500 million to provide military training and equipment to Taiwan.
• The bill includes several new rules that ban the use of federal money for diversity and inclusion offices, gender-affirming healthcare, and teaching certain concepts related to race. It also prevents the government from requiring COVID-19 masks or vaccines for troops and students in military schools.
• To save money, the bill cuts billions of dollars from the budget by requiring the Defense Department to work with the Department of Government Efficiency to find and remove wasteful spending.
• It continues long-standing bans on moving prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to the United States and prohibits any funding for groups like the Taliban, Hamas, or the United Nations agency that assists Palestinians.

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