House passes defense bill with Gottheimer provisions to support troops, fight terrorism and counter China
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House on Thursday approved the annual defense authorization bill, advancing several provisions written or backed by U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., that aim to strengthen national security, support military personnel, counter foreign adversaries and bolster U.S. partnerships abroad.
“The House passed a strong, bipartisan defense bill to help equip and prepare our service members to carry out their mission and defend our country. This bipartisan bill included several key provisions I helped lead to support our service members and reserves, fight global terror, support our allies, and ensure the United States remains a leader in the face of Chinese advancements,” Gottheimer said. “I’ll continue working with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support our active-duty military, combat terrorism and violent extremism, and strengthen America’s national security.”
Gottheimer said the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 includes a 3.8% pay raise for service members, as well as expanded funding for the National Defense Education Program to provide scholarships, internships and STEM resources for K–12 and post-secondary students critical to the defense workforce.
The bill also provides $70 million for U.S.-Israel counter-drone cooperation, accelerating the development of systems to combat emerging drone threats alongside a key American ally.
Another provision expedites the redistribution of seized Iranian weapons to U.S. partners in the Middle East, a move supporters say will enhance counterterrorism operations across the region.
To protect national security from foreign technological threats, the bill mandates the removal of the Chinese-developed AI application DeepSeek and similar software from all intelligence community networks.
The legislation also establishes an AI Institute aimed at strengthening the United States’ artificial intelligence capabilities to ensure American troops have access to the most advanced technology.
In Europe, the bill creates the Baltic Security Initiative, intended to help U.S. allies along Russia’s borders defend against ongoing Russian aggression.
