Monday, September 8th, 2025

Stop Illegal Entry: The House is set to begin mark-up of H.R.3486, which would increase penalties for aliens who illegally enter or reenter the United States, particularly those with prior felony convictions or multiple previous removals.

Modernize the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Acquisition System: The House Committee on Rules may meet this week to provide for floor consideration the H.R.3838, the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery (SPEED) Act. The bill fundamentally reforms the Defense Acquisition System (DAS) to cut red tape and deliver capabilities to servicemembers as quickly and effectively as possible.

Government Funding: The odds of a partial government shutdown may be decreasing after the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee cautiously embraced an emerging GOP game plan for a stopgap spending measure. That support, however, hinges on such a measure avoiding partisan policy riders and funding cuts and extending no longer than a few months.

National Defense Authorization (NDAA): The Senate voted (84-14) to move forward with consideration of S.2296. The Senate’s version of the NDAA would authorize US defense and national security programs to receive $925.8 billion. The bill would more than double funding for military construction, and it would authorize a roughly 12% boost above the request for procurement.

It would set an end-strength military force limit of 1.3 million active duty personnel, and support a 3.8% pay increase for military personnel. It would authorize $500 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative and extend it through 2028. It would also set policies for the development and deployment of the domestic Golden Dome missile defense program and provide up to $200 million to support Israel’s missile defense systems.