Congresswoman Escobar Statement on the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act

Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) released a statement following her vote on the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):

"The annual National Defense Authorization Act has always been the product of serious bipartisan negotiation, leading to a bill that prioritizes our service members, their families, and our national defense. In determining how to vote on the final bill, I have always weighed a number of factors: the overall positive impact, the compromises needed for a solid bipartisan outcome, and any aspects of bad policy included in the bill. Fort Bliss, our military families, and my community of El Paso are my priorities. Today, I voted against the NDAA for the first time in my congressional career.

"Many aspects of this year's NDAA build on my years of work on the House Armed Services Committee and advance the priorities of Fort Bliss and our service members. But unfortunately, despite great effort to strip the bill of poisonous provisions, Republicans successfully used this bill as a vehicle for their culture wars and propaganda, continuing to marginalize members of the LGBTQ+ community in our military, and have allowed Donald Trump's misuse of our military for his immigration enforcement abuses to be codified into law.

"I don't take a no vote lightly, particularly when a piece of legislation has the ability to do so much good. This legislation still contains some major wins for service members, families, and institutions like UTEP that I helped secure, but I refuse to be a part of a voting bloc that enables the Trump Administration to expand its abuse of our military, making it an arm of the Department of Homeland Security. Congress should not permit the misuse of the DOD, particularly when this administration has so blatantly shown its disregard for the rule of law."

You can read more about the Congresswoman's work as one of 8 members on the bipartisan Quality of Life Panel, which led to passage of the Fiscal Year 25 NDAA here. As well as the FY 2024, FY 2023, FY 2022, FY 2021, and FY 2020 NDAAs at their respective links or here.