Gillibrand Highlights Wins In FY2027 Defense Bill

Gillibrand Highlights Wins In FY2027 Defense Bill

Jun 11, 2026

Bill Includes Gillibrand's Provisions To Increase Oversight of The Military's Use Of AI, Ban Insider Trading And Prediction Market Manipulation By Defense Personnel, And Improve Military Justice

Bill Also Authorizes $161 Million For New York Priorities

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, announced that several of her provisions were included in the Senate's Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed out of committee this week.

Ultimately, Senator Gillibrand did not vote to pass the bill out of committee due to Republicans' refusal to cut topline defense spending-which is already at a record high-and to demand accountability for the Iran war.

Senator Gillibrand's statement on this year's NDAA is as follows:

"This year's NDAA reflects the need for further accountability and oversight of President Trump's Pentagon. I fought hard to secure key provisions in the final bill, including a pay raise for our troops, guardrails on the military's use of artificial intelligence, and a ban on prediction market participation by DOD employees and contractors related to defense activities. These measures are critical to protect our troops and our national security.

"Ultimately, those victories were undermined. Republicans systematically shot down key amendments to rein in President Trump's reckless war with Iran and cut record-high defense spending. At a moment when our alliances are strained and the administration is ignoring the American people to fund a deeply unpopular conflict, this bill sends the wrong message. Right now, I could not vote to advance a defense bill that places no constraints on an administration waging a price-increasing war without clear justification, plan, or endgame."

This year's NDAA authorizes $1.14 trillion in defense spending-the largest defense authorization in American history. Senator Gillibrand and her Democratic colleagues on the Armed Services Committee attempted to cut this amount by $150 billion and return that money to the American people, but Republicans rejected the amendment. Democrats also offered an amendment to require accountability for the cost of the Iran war, rein in the Pentagon's unchecked spending, and force a congressional vote on authorization for the Iran war. Republicans rejected that amendment as well.

The bill ultimately passed out of the Senate Armed Services Committee by a vote of 18-9. The final text includes many provisions that Senator Gillibrand fought hard to secure.

A list of Senator Gillibrand's priorities included in the NDAA include:

Personnel:

• Authorizes a 3.6 percent pay raise for service members.
• Bans participation by the military, DOD civilians, and DOD contractors in prediction markets related to DOD activities.
• Improves healthcare for service members by enabling them and their families to more effectively raise issues with the TRICARE program and by improving the TRICARE provider directory. TRICARE is the healthcare program for active duty service members and their families.
• Improves housing and environmental health for service members and their families residing in military family housing.

Cyber and Technology:

• Limits the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military: Bans the use of AI for nuclear launch or detonation, limits the use of AI for domestic surveillance, and requires notification of incidents involving attempts to steal or compromise AI models used by DOD.
• Addresses AI-accelerated vulnerabilities: Requires DOD to develop a strategy to address risks and opportunities arising from the use of AI systems to discover, validate, exploit, remediate, or reverse engineer vulnerabilities in DOD systems.
• Requires biosecurity testing for AI used by DOD: Requires DOD to develop a strategy for testing its AI for potential biosecurity risks.
• Increases authorization for Cyber Service Academy scholarships by $50 million.

Military Justice:

• Allows victims of domestic violence to get the legal assistance that they need by adding domestic violence as a qualifier for Special Victims' Counsel services.

New York Priorities:

• $90 million authorization for the Colonie National Guard Readiness Center for the New York Air National Guard.
• $32 million authorization for improvements at Fort Drum, including the modernization of the Automated Record Fire Plus range, the design of a fire and rescue station, and the design of a simulation facility for training.
• $15 million authorization for the Omega Laser Facility at the University of Rochester.
• $11.1 million authorization for the design of a chrome plating facility at Watervliet Arsenal.
• $10 million authorization for the design of an Air Control and Warning Operations Building at the Eastern Air Defense Sector in Rome, NY.
• $2.9 million authorization for the design of a logistics readiness complex for the Gabreski Air National Guard Base.
• Requires a briefing on DOD efforts to source legacy semiconductors.

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