By Elaine Donnelly
President, Center for Military Readiness
Congress has finished work on the high-stakes Big Beautiful Bill. Next came legislative action on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2026.
Some Americans are asking, “Will Republicans in Congress fully support President Trump’s efforts to end “woke” policies in the military?”
Or will they miss the best opportunity to codify all elements of President Trump’s executive actions to affirm meritocracy and non-discrimination?
The following CMR Policy Analysis reports on and analyzes what has been accomplished and what remains to be done in the NDAA process as of July 23:
- The NDAA for 2026 Should Restore Meritocracy in America’s Armed Forces, 4 pages, July 2025
Additional details in the legislation are discussed in these articles by CMR Legal Counsel and Law Professor Emeritus William A. Woodruff, a retired Colonel and former Chief of the Army’s Litigation Division:
- The Federalist: Congress Broke the Military, Now it Must Fix It, (July 15, 2025)
- The Federalist: Here’s the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in Congress’ New Defense Bill, (July 22, 2025)
This House Armed Services Committee NDAA amendment tracker provides links to several positive measures that address meritocracy/non-discrimination, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and critical race theory (CRT):
FY26 Markup Amendment Tracker | House Armed Services Committee
(See Rep. Nancy Mace’s amendments marked LOG 5501, LOG 4828, and LOG 4820.)
All three Mace amendments and more would be a welcome step toward meritocracy, but further action is needed to prohibit discrimination in all military communities, based on sex as well as race and religion. In addition, the word “sex” should be defined in terms of biology, not “gender identity.”
The House Appropriations Committee approved a long list of positive measures in its 2026 bill, but they would be in effect for only one year. (See bill Sections 8135-8150)
Congress will have opportunities to get it right sometime in the Fall. Interested individuals and pro-military organizations should share information in this message while encouraging members of Congress to make this year’s NDAA as strong as possible.
For more information, including draft legislative language on request, please call me at the number below.
Elaine Donnelly
President, Center for Military Readiness
P. O. Box 51600
Livonia, Michigan 48151
734/464-9430
www.cmrlink.org
First published by the Center for Military Readiness
Here’s The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly In Congress’s New Defense Bill
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