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Author: Sarah Castro

Reviewed 9/22

FY26 NDAA Conference Bill is Released

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Conferees released the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was released this week.

H.R. 3838, the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 is the final version before final House and Senate passage and the measure goes to the President to become law. The plan would authorize $900.6 billion in national security spending which is $8 billion more than what was in the president’s budget request. In comparison, the FY25 NDAA was $924.7 billion.

The measure contained a provision which would prohibit the Department from modifying indirect cost rates to higher education or nonprofit organizations without prior consultation by those groups and with establishing an implementation plan adequate transition time to change budgeting and accounting processes.

It includes language to repeal the 2002 Iraq War and 1991 Gulf War Authorizations of Military Force.

Also included were limits on reducing troops in Europe and South Korea and $400M for Ukraine security assistance.

The measure did not contain the SAFE Research Act, which was included in the House-version of the NDAA. The SAFE Research Act would have prohibited all federal research agencies from supporting researchers who collaborate with “foreign adversaries,” such as graduate students who were from certain countries of interest or association with certain institutions. The measure used a 5-year lookback with retroactive penalties to researchers. Included in “collaboration” would have included research agreements, study abroad programs, conference participation, university facilities abroad, etc.

Also out are the proposed IVF expansion and controversial base renaming provisions.

Conference Resources:

FY26 NDAA Conference Text Legislative Summary

FY26 NDAA Conferenced Bill Full Text

FY26 NDAA One Pager

The House is expected to pass the measure this week, and the Senate is expected to pass the same measure by the end of the year. When passed, this will the the 65th year the annual authorization bill has passed.

WH Launches Genesis Mission for AI

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On November 24, President Trump signed an Executive Order entitled Launching the Genesis Mission, which establishes a coordinated national effort to unleash a new age of AI‑accelerated innovation and discovery.

    • Full text can be found here
    • The Fact Sheet can be found here
    • An additional article from the White House can be found here

Some highlights:

    • The EO launches the Genesis Mission to transform the use of AI in how scientific research is conducted and accelerate the speed of scientific discovery.
    • The Secretary of Energy will leverage the National Labs to create a cooperative research system, focusing on computing power and data.
    • DOE will create a closed-loop AI experimentation platform to integrate supercomputers and data assets to generate a foundation model as well as power robotic laboratories.
    • The Secretary of Energy will establish and operate the American Science and Security Platform to serve as the infrastructure for the Mission.
    • The Assistant to the President for Science and Technology (Kratsios), will coordinate the national initiative and integrate data and infrastructure from across the government.
    • The Asst. to the President for S&T is also tasked with coordinating with NSF, NIST, NIH and other federal agencies.
    • The Secretary of Energy, Assistant to the President for S&T, and the Special Advisor for AI & Crypto (Sacks) will collaborate with academia and the private sector to support the Mission.
    • The EO also outlines focus areas to be addressed by the Mission:
      • biotechnology, critical materials, nuclear fission and fusion energy, space exploration, quantum information science, and semiconductors and microelectronics.
    • The EO also directs the Secretary of Energy to share a list with the Asst. to the President for S&T of at least 20 science and technology challenges of national importance that the Secretary assesses to have potential to be addressed through the Mission.

Recission Package Passes

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Much like the reconciliation bill earlier in the month, the Senate amended the Administration’s recission package and sent it back to the House for final approval. The measure, H.R.4 – Rescissions Act of 2025, has passed the House and is now headed to the President’s desk for signature.

The Administration proposed $9.4 billion in funding already appropriated to claw back claw back $1.1 billion previously allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, along with $7.9 billion dollars earmarked for international efforts to combat famine and disease.

The House approved the Administration’s proposal. The Senate amendment, which was led by Senator Eric Schmidt (R-MO), would preserve the following funding from cuts:

  • The amendment removes PEPFAR ($400 million) from the rescissions bill.
  • Protects funding for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria, Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition (including polio) within the Global Health account;
  • Protects funding for countering PRC Influence Fund;
  • Protects funding for aid to Egypt and Jordan; and
  • Protects funding for the administration of U.S. commodity-based food aid, namely Food for Peace the McGovern-Dole.

The House passed the amended proposal.

The final bill is now waiting the President’s signature.

House Passes FY2020 Appropriations Measures

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The House passed two spending packages of nearly $1.4 trillion to fund federal agencies through FY20. The current federal funding continuing resolution expires at midnight Friday.

The Senate is expected to clear the pair of bills for President Donald Trump’s signature later this week.

The bipartisan agreement provides $49 billion in extra funding across the government and includes sweeping policy provisions, including to raise the legal age of tobacco purchases to 21, reauthorize PCORI, extend the Ex-IM bank for seven years, and repeal of several health taxes in Obamacare.