# Congress Debates U.S.-Israel Defense Cooperation

As Congress moves the FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into conference, Senator Chris Van Hollen and 11 colleagues, Senator Patty Murray and colleagues, and Representative Ro Khanna are urging lawmakers to remove provisions expanding U.S.-Israel defense technology cooperation and intelligence sharing. The provisions include House Section 219 and Senate Sections 1217 and 618, and could shape joint research and development, testing, co-production, and work on technologies including AI and quantum systems. Their final status is unresolved; the signals identify no solicitation, contract award, or named contractor opportunity. One signal also reports that roughly $3.8 billion in annual U.S. military assistance is expected to end in late 2026 and that future assistance could be routed through Pentagon procurement, subject to annual appropriations.

- Defense contractors should distinguish these pending legislative provisions from current procurement opportunities; no contract action is identified in the signals.
- The conference outcome could affect the authorities and conditions for U.S.-Israel technology sharing, co-production, R&D, and intelligence collaboration, making the final NDAA text relevant to firms pursuing work in those areas.
- The reported potential shift from military aid to Pentagon procurement could change how future purchases are funded and acquired. Companies with relevant defense offerings can assess how that possibility may affect their business planning, while recognizing that the funding and policy decisions remain unsettled.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Policy, Grants & Funding
**Published:** November 12, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Congress (Congress)
- U.S. House of Representatives (House)
- U.S. Senate (Senate)
- U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
- Government of Israel

### Key Quotes
> would constrain the administration’s ability to independently determine how best to protect U.S. national security and would lock in long-term commitments despite our serious concerns with the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza, the West Bank, and other parts of the region
> — Chris Van Hollen, U.S. Senator

### Sources
- [Democrats Target US-Israel Defense Tech Cooperation Clause in NDAA | Israel Defense](https://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/node/72703) - Israel Defense
- [https://t.co/laWkvIoyYV
Opposition in Congress to the infamous U.S.-Israel military merger in the FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is spreading. On Nov. 10, 12 senators led by Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) wrote to House and Senate leaders asking them to remove three pr](https://x.com/ZeppLaRouche/status/2120780684818096490) - twitter-defense
- [Democrats push to remove US-Israel tech measure from defense bill - Defense News](https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2026/11/12/democrats-push-to-remove-us-israel-tech-measure-from-defense-bill) - Defense News