Buchanan Requests Inclusion of Eight Bipartisan Amendments in Final Defense Bill

Proposals Included in the House-Passed FY26 NDAA to Combat Obesity Crisis, Secure Supply Chains and Support Servicemembers

WASHINGTON - Congressman Vern Buchanan, Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chair of the Health Subcommittee, recently led a letter to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees urging the inclusion of his eight bipartisan amendments in the final FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (H.R. 3838), all of which were unanimously adopted in the House-passed version of the bill. The NDAA implements President Trump's Peace Through Strength agenda by authorizing critical programs to strengthen America's national security, modernize the military and support servicemembers and their families.

"As the House and Senate negotiate the final Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), I write to respectfully urge the inclusion of my amendments, which were unanimously approved and included in the House-passed bill," Buchanan wrote in the letter. "My eight amendments collectively aim to safeguard the well-being of our servicemembers and their families, improve military readiness and preserve America's unmatched strength and leadership on the global stage."

The House and Senate Armed Services Committees are currently finalizing negotiations on the FY26 NDAA, with the goal of releasing the final text later this month.

Buchanan's amendments include provisions to combat the obesity epidemic in the military, strengthen America's defense supply chains, counter Chinese influence, enhance military readiness and support servicemember health and safety.

Buchanan's eight proposals included in the House-passed FY26 NDAA are:

• An amendment to establish a pilot program providing Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) technology to servicemembers. Mirroring Buchanan's FORCE-FIT Act, the program will improve health and cut long-term health care costs.
• An amendment to require the Department of Defense and the Department of Commerce to report on U.S. technologies acquired by companies tied to the Chinese Communist Party. The report will detail how these purchases happen and recommend ways to protect American innovation better.
• An amendment to end the use of animals in live-fire trauma training. The military will instead use advanced simulators, mannequins, cadavers or actors to prepare servicemembers for combat emergencies.
• An amendment to ban the use of foreign social media apps on government-issued devices at military bases. This will help safeguard servicemembers from foreign surveillance.
• An amendment to require a Department of Defense report on the threat of fiber optic-controlled drones to U.S. troops and bases. The study will examine how foreign adversaries could use these drones for spying and targeting.
• An amendment to direct the Government Accountability Office to review U.S. supply chains for critical defense minerals like rare earth elements, lithium, cobalt and nickel. The report will identify risks and recommend ways to incentivize American production.
• An amendment to require the Department of Defense and Department of Commerce to create a strategy for increasing exports of U.S.-made defense components and materials. This will strengthen the domestic defense industry and support American jobs.
• An amendment to require all military bases to install prescription drug drop boxes. This ensures the safe disposal of unused medications, including opioids.

In January 2025, Buchanan saw eight of his legislative proposals signed into law at the end of the 118th Congress. These proposals, including measures to enhance military readiness and expand health care options for servicemembers, were included in the final version of the FY25 NDAA.

Read the full letter here or below.

Dear Chairman Wicker, Ranking Member Reed, Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith,

As the House and Senate negotiate the final Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), I write to respectfully urge the inclusion of my amendments, which were unanimously approved and included in the House-passed bill.

My eight amendments collectively aim to safeguard the well-being of our servicemembers and their families, improve military readiness and preserve America's unmatched strength and leadership on the global stage.

One of my amendments establishes a pilot program providing Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) technology to servicemembers. Mirroring my FORCE-FIT Act, this initiative will help improve health outcomes and reduce long-term health care costs by giving our troops better tools to manage and monitor their physical well-being. Alarmingly, according to the American Security Project, the obesity rate among active-duty service members has more than doubled over the past decade from roughly 10.4 percent in 2012 to 21.6 percent in 2022.

Secondly, an additional amendment requires the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Commerce to report on U.S. technologies acquired by companies tied to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This critical study will identify how these purchases occur and recommend ways to better safeguard American innovation and national security. Notably, the Congressional Research Service found that approximately 30 percent of private-firm deals and 46 percent of state-owned enterprise investments involving Chinese entities were motivated by the acquisition of advanced or dual-use technologies.

Furthermore, recognizing the evolving threat landscape, another amendment requires the DoD to report on the threat posed by fiber optic-controlled drones to U.S. troops and installations. This study will examine how foreign adversaries may use these drones for surveillance, targeting or other hostile activities.

Please see below for a full list of my House-passed amendments, which all received broad bipartisan support and directly address key challenges facing our military and their families:

• Establishes a pilot program providing Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) technology to servicemembers.
• Requires the Department of Defense and the Department of Commerce to report on U.S. technologies acquired by companies tied to the Chinese Communist Party.
• Ends the use of animals in live-fire trauma training, replacing them with advanced simulators, mannequins, cadavers, or actors.
• Requires the Department of Defense and Department of Commerce to create a strategy to increase exports of U.S.-made defense components and materials.
• Bans the use of foreign social media apps on government-issued devices at military bases.
• Requires a Department of Defense report on the threat of fiber optic-controlled drones to U.S. troops and bases.
• Directs the Government Accountability Office to review U.S. supply chains for critical defense minerals, including rare earth elements, lithium, cobalt and nickel.
• Requires all military bases to install prescription drug drop boxes to ensure safe disposal of unused medications.

I thank you for your continued commitment to the brave men and women who serve our nation in uniform and for your steadfast leadership in advancing policies that strengthen our national defense and support our military families.

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