Ezell Applauds House Passage of the FY'26 National Defense Authorization Act

Congressman Mike Ezell (MS-04) released the following statement after voting in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) earlier this week, which passed the House by a vote of 231-196:

"This year's National Defense Authorization Act restores what our military should be focused on: strength, accountability, and readiness. It puts an end to divisive political agendas and refocuses our defense efforts on winning wars, not wokeness," Ezell said. "Our troops deserve a defense policy that backs them up with the tools, pay, and support they've earned-and this bill delivers. This is a win for our military, American manufacturing, and national security. The Senate must act swiftly to send this critical legislation to President Trump's desk."

The FY'26 NDAA included two amendments, Amendment No. 116 and No. 117, submitted by Ezell, which passed by voice vote.

• Amendment No. 116 - Adds language to match the Senate version of the NDAA included language supporting sea launch of missile defense targets.
• Amendment No. 117 - Authorizes $3M in FY2026 for SOCOM Program Element 1160405BB to procure ultra-light (<6 lb) Group-1 small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS). Mirrors verbatim the Senate NDAA report (S. 2296 - S. Rept. 119-39). Special Operations Forces need agile, resilient tools to sustain dominance in contested environments.

Key highlights of the House-passed NDAA include:

• Refocuses Military Priorities: Codifies President Trump's efforts to eliminate left-wing ideology, DEI mandates, and "woke" initiatives within the Department of Defense-returning the focus to lethality, merit, and accountability.

• Strengthens Border Security: Fully funds and expands the Department of Defense's support for the Department of Homeland Security's border security operations.

• Improves Military Readiness and Innovation: Implements major reforms to the DoD acquisition process-accelerating delivery of advanced technology to the warfighter and cutting red tape, consistent with President Trump's executive orders.

• Supports Servicemembers and Military Families: Delivers a 3.8% pay raise for servicemembers and enhances benefits for military families, reinforcing America's commitment to the men and women in uniform.

• Boosts National Defense Capabilities: Fully funds top defense priorities such as the Golden Dome, F-47 fighter aircraft, submarines, warships, and autonomous weapons systems.

• Rebuilds the Defense Industrial Base: Authorizes funding and new authorities to revitalize U.S. defense manufacturing, create American jobs, and onshore critical supply chains.

• Demands Fair Burden-Sharing: Includes new measures to ensure our allies contribute more to their own defense-reducing the burden on American taxpayers.

• Delivers Real Savings: Achieves over $20 billion in savings, including $15 billion from Trump-era defense reform initiatives.

• Prepares for Future Threats: Enhances readiness for potential conflict in the Indo-Pacific and extends counterterrorism authorities to keep Americans safe.

• Promotes Energy Independence: Codifies President Trump's executive order advancing energy security and development of next-generation nuclear power for defense applications.

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