WASHINGTON—Today, The Heritage Foundation released the following statement in response to the final text of the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (FY25 NDAA)—legislation that authorizes appropriations and outlines priorities for the U.S. Department of Defense and other defense-related activities annually.  

Heritage’s Vice President of the Kathyrn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy Victoria Coates stated: 

“The FY25 NDAA takes an important step toward a defense budget that flows from strategy and directs DOD to become as lethal as possible to protect the national security of Americans.
 

“The bill authorizes resources for DOD at the border, retains the House’s ban on corrosive race-based policies, eliminates the Senate's provision to draft our daughters, prohibits transgender surgeries for minors under TRICARE, supports military construction in the Indo-Pacific and shipbuilding, including a third Arleigh Burke–class destroyer, and incremental funding for a second Virginia-class submarine. These policies in this bill combined with new military leadership will make America stronger.”