Explainer: Southern Baptists & the NDAA

On Dec. 18, 2025, President Trump signed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act into law. This bill included several noteworthy wins for Southern Baptists and is the result of months of negotiation by House and Senate lawmakers, most recently clearing the Senate on Dec. 17 by a vote of 77 to 20.

What is the NDAA?

Each year, Congress must pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes the Department of Defense (DoD, the Department of War) to operate and to utilize its budget. The NDAA is what is seen as a “must-pass” bill that sets defense priorities for lawmakers for the following year. This bill typically influences policies such as:

the operations of military bases,
the procurement of weapons,
and training requirements for the members of the military,
but it also touches on areas of importance to Southern Baptists such as life and gender.

The two versions of the NDAA resulting from the House and Senate typically vary on how federal funding can be used. As a result, Congress undergoes negotiations to agree on a compromise bill that can pass both chambers. Advocacy groups, like the ERLC, have the ability to engage with House and Senate Armed Services Committee members in the year-long process of crafting this bill.

How has the ERLC advocated for Southern Baptists in the NDAA?

In October, the ERLC sent a letter to negotiators advocating for four main Southern Baptist values in the NDAA:

Supporting the prohibition of federal funding for abortion.
Prohibiting federal funding for “gender transition” services, procedures, and medications.
Opposing the expansion of selective service (the draft) to include women.
Preventing the use of government funding to expand access to the unregulated practice of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs), such as IVF, and establishing baseline ethical standards of care.

In addition to this letter, ERLC staff have conducted numerous meetings with members of Congress and their staff to discuss these areas of concern and encourage them to include helpful policy changes in the final package.

The ERLC was pleased to see several of these areas of concern in the final compromise bill. These advocacy wins include:

No taxpayer-funded expansion of ARTs: The original version of both the House and Senate bills included a provision to expand taxpayer-funded ARTs for servicemembers and their dependents, without any pro-life guardrails, industry regulation, or limitations on who could use such services. This language was removed in the final version of the bill. You can read more about the ERLC’s policy recommendations related to IVF here.
Prohibiting taxpayer-funded “gender transitions” for children: This year’s defense bill prohibits taxpayer-funded “gender transitions” in any capacity, maintaining precedent set in last year’s NDAA.
Prohibition on participation of males in female sports at military academies: This provision in the final NDAA ensures that the military service academies do not permit a male to participate in an athletic program or activity that is designated for women or girls.
Retaining existing selective service policies, which do not require women to register for the draft: The final version of the NDAA maintains existing standards for the draft. You can read more about our opposition to forcing women to register for the draft here.

Why is the NDAA important to Southern Baptists?

Through the NDAA, Congress authorizes approximately $886 billion in taxpayer funds—this year, closer to $900 billion. The NDAA helps set what Congress views as legitimate uses of federal funding. Because it is passed each year, this makes the NDAA a consequential piece of legislation. Without proper language included in the NDAA, federal precedent could be set, and taxpayer dollars could be used to fund harmful activities Southern Baptists fundamentally oppose.

For example, the NDAA sets policy precedent on:

Federal funding for abortion: DoD has the unique ability to influence health policy through the Military Health System, an internal, independent healthcare system operated within DoD. Because of this ability to set statutory and regulatory precedent, the authorization of pro-life (or pro-abortion) action through DoD can have far-reaching implications. Under the Biden administration, the DoD promoted harmful abortion tourism policies which President Trump swiftly reversed at the start of his term.

Federal funding to cover “gender transition” interventions: Relatedly, the DoD spends roughly $136 billion annually on healthcare for employees and military personnel. Under the Biden administration, the DoD was extending such coverage to include “gender transition” surgical procedures and prescriptions.

Federal funding of abortion and gender-transition services violates our consciences as taxpayers and can cause irreversible bodily harm to self and neighbor. In no way is this honoring to image bearers, or part of what is necessary to serve warfighters and their dependents.

Thankfully, this year’s defense bill sets the right precedent, prohibiting taxpayer funding for either of these harmful practices through the DoD.

Why does NDAA advocacy matter to Southern Baptists?

As stated in the Baptist Faith and Message, Southern Baptists believe that God has ordained government for the purpose of executing justice, praising that which is good, and punishing those who do evil.

Southern Baptists have historically supported measures related to our NDAA priorities through the passage of our annual resolutions such as the:

The ERLC is encouraged by these wins in the 65th version of the NDAA—a historic legislative achievement. We will continue to advocate for the retention of pro-life and conscience protections, and for policies that prevent taxpayer funding from contributing to the harmful manipulation of gender.

We invite our fellow Southern Baptists to join us in praying for godly wisdom for our leaders, for the safety of our service members, and for sound policies to continue to be implemented.