McCaul Applauds House Passage of FY27 NDAA, Inclusion of Provisions He Championed

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) - chairman emeritus of the House Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs Committees - released the following statement after voting for the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

"Providing for our national defense is a fundamental duty of Congress - one that has never been more vital as America's adversaries seek to undermine global stability. I proudly voted for this year's NDAA to support our brave servicemembers and their families, equip our warfighters with the tools they need to win, and deter our adversaries' aggression around the world." -Rep. McCaul

McCaul championed several of the provisions in this year's NDAA, including a provision he led with Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas) to expand access to neuroplastogen treatments like ibogaine for our nation's veterans.

"Our servicemembers and special operators risk everything to defend our freedoms, and far too many return home with deep wounds - both seen and unseen. Mounting evidence suggests that, where traditional medicine has failed, ibogaine can offer a durable path to recovery for these heroes. Our nation's veterans answered the call for us, and I'm proud to help deliver for them." -Rep. McCaul
Click here to watch McCauls House floor speech, urging his colleagues to support the provision.

McCaul also joined Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) in securing a provision to establish a pilot program providing anonymous counseling for Special Operations Forces.

"Our special operators face unimaginable danger and trauma. They should not be penalized for seeking the help they need to continue doing their high-risk jobs successfully. I'm proud to support this provision to help increase their access to mental health resources as they continue to fight and risk their lives for this nation." -Rep. McCaul

Additionally, he helped secure two provisions to strengthen the AUKUS partnership:

1. A provision he led with Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) enabling the U.S., U.K., and Australia to share long-range missile and drone technology more freely.
2. A provision he led with Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) and others to allow the U.S. to transfer an additional Virginia-class submarine to Australia, bringing the total number of submarines allowed under the AUKUS agreement to three.

"The Chinese Communist Party is working at lightning speed to advance its military apparatus - and it does not play fair. We must empower the United States and its allies to meet that generational challenge head-on by removing burdensome red tape that slows down the transfer of critical military technologies. This important provision will strengthen crucial partnerships like the AUKUS defense pact and deter the CCP's malign activity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond." -Rep. McCaul

McCaul also successfully included his provision to accelerate the development and testing of unmanned systems and platforms to counter them.

"Unmanned systems are rapidly changing the face of modern warfare - a reality I witnessed firsthand during my recent visit to Ukraine. The Ukrainians have leveraged these low-cost systems to inflict staggering losses on the Russian forces. The United States must heed the lessons from emerging battlefields around the world and rapidly accelerate innovation in our own drone systems and counter-drone capabilities to ensure our military is prepared for the conflicts of tomorrow."-Rep. McCaul