Oversight Theater: The NDAA and the Illusion of Congressional Control
December 19, AD2025
Congress has approved a giant new US defense spending and policy law that observers claim signals “pushback” against President Donald John Trump’s approach to Europe. The legislation requires the Pentagon to maintain at least 76,000 troops on the continent, limiting the administration’s ability to unilaterally reduce the American military presence. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2026—a roughly 3,000-page document that sets rules for how the Pentagon allocates approximately $900 billion—passed the Senate 77–20 on Wednesday and was signed by the president the next day.
Members of Congress framed the NDAA as a contrast to the administration’s new national security strategy, which harshly criticized Europe and questioned its role in the Ukraine war. Concerns have grown in Congress and among European allies that the Trump administration could scale back troop levels or weaken NATO commitments while the Pentagon’s global force posture review remains unreleased. US troop strength in Europe sits just under 80,000 and often shifts with rotations and exercises; since 2022, it has ranged from 75,000 to 105,000. Under the NDAA, US troop levels in Europe cannot drop below 76,000 for more than 45 days unless the top defense leaders—the SedDef and USEUCOM Commander— certify it serves US security interests and allies were consulted. Additionally, key weapons systems must stay in place. The bill also backs Ukraine and Baltic security initiatives, sets a minimum troop level in South Korea, and includes oversight provisions tied to Latin American operations. The specific penalty for Secretary Hegseth failing to provide the "double-tap" strike footage is a 25% reduction in his travel budget for Fiscal Year 2026.
Why even bother with this stage theater? Let’s look behind the curtain.
This whole episode is a sign of a Congress that does not know what it is doing and can barely be taken seriously. First, the defense bill raises the Pentagon’s budget to nearly a trillion dollars at a time when the deficit has ballooned. Congress postures as if it questions whether Secretary Hegseth has not shown himself competent with the budget he already has, yet Congress has given him more money. That is neither pushback nor curtailment. It is a mixed signal at best. Congress now threatens to cut his travel budget if he does not comply with their demands for footage. This is not a real threat; he could simply travel less or secure the funds from elsewhere. What will Congress do if he takes the money from another budget line item or piggybacks a ride with one of his subordinate commanders? The evidence suggests it will do nothing. It did nothing when the money clearly marked out for USAID was cut. Hegseth could rightly be expected to dismiss Congress. It would be far more effective to hold him in contempt of Congress for withholding data from the senior branch of the government. They will not do it, so he can safely ignore them. It is hard to blame him.
The worst of it is the European troop level “mandate.” What mandate? To evade it, all Hegseth has to do is have Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, Commander of U.S. European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), certify with him that a reduction is in the national security interest of the USA and that they “consulted” NATO allies—whatever “consulted” is supposed to mean in this context.
This means they could remove the troops after making a few phone calls and signing a statement claiming, “this will make America great again.” Why should Hegseth respect a Congress that is unwilling to make him respect it? The problem in 2025 is that America lacks a real Congress, and as a result, it lacks a balanced government.
This is not a partisan critique as most Democratic Senators voted for a bill with illusory penalties for defying Congress, including Virginia’s senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner. If they thought this was good policy then fine, but Congress should not do is perform oversight theater. It is not only dishonest but it provokes contempt from the executive branch. It would better to pass a clear bill that simply agrees with the Trump Administration’s priorities and let the American people decide if they agree in the midterm elections. Instead we have oversight theater designed to confuse the citizens.