Bennet Secures Bipartisan NDAA Wins for Colorado and U.S. National Security

Oct 10, 2025| Press Releases

Bennet Priorities Passed in the Senate National Defense Authorization Act Authorize Major Investments in Colorado and Strengthen U.S. Global Leadership

Washington, D.C. - Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, celebrated Senate passage of the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), in which Bennet secured major investments for Colorado's military bases and defense industry, pay increases for military personnel, and provisions strengthening key U.S. alliances and partnerships around the world.

"This bipartisan legislation will bolster U.S. national security by investing in our military and its personnel, our cutting-edge defense industry, and our alliances and partnerships," said Bennet. "As China, Russia, and other malign actors threaten U.S. interests and democracy around the world, the Senate and House must pass a conferenced version of this legislation as soon as possible."

Bennet helped secure the following items in the FY26 NDAA bill:

• Military Personnel Pay Increase - All servicemembers will receive a 3.8% pay raise.

• Colorado Defense and Aerospace Industry Investments - Bennet secured financial support for critical missions to which Colorado contributes, including a $60 million increase for Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS), a program supporting the rapid launch and operation of satellites to respond quickly to threats, and full funding of $106 million for Rapid Resilient Command and Control, a program modernizing ground systems used to command and control military satellites.

• Indo-Pacific Multilateral Deterrence - Bennet and Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) authored legislation requiring the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a strategy to strengthen U.S.-led multilateral efforts - with allies including Australia, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines - to deter China's aggression in the Indo-Pacific.

• AUKUS Improvement Act - Bennet joined Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) on legislation strengthening the AUKUS partnership between the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom by streamlining defense industrial base collaboration and co-production of Virginia-class submarines.

• Curbing U.S. Investment in China's Advanced Technologies - Bennet joined Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and other Senate colleagues on legislation protecting U.S. national security by limiting American investments in certain technologies with potential military uses in China, such as artificial intelligence, advanced semiconductors, quantum technologies, and hypersonics.

• Baltic Security Initiative - Bennet joined Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and other Senate colleagues on legislation authorizing the Baltic Security Initiative to deepen security collaboration with our Baltic allies - Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania - amid Russia's continued threats against the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), including the recent fighter jet incursion into Estonia.

• DISRUPT Act - Bennet joined Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Senate colleagues on legislation requiring a whole-of-government strategy to address and disrupt the dangerous collaboration between Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran.
  
  
• National Guard Reimbursement - Bennet joined Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and other Senate colleagues on an amendment to ensure that the National Guard retains reimbursement money after state missions to fix and maintain equipment.
  
  
• The ROAD to Housing Act - Bennet joined Senator Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and other Senate colleagues to include the HOME Investment Partnerships Reauthorization Act as a provision in the NDAA. This is the first housing bill to move out of committee in more than a decade and includes over 30 provisions to boost housing supply, modernize government programs, and reduce regulatory barriers.
  

• Returning Abducted Ukrainian Children - Bennet joined Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on an amendment calling for the immediate return of Ukrainian children Russia abducted. The NDAA also includes legislation requiring the United States to help Ukraine help locate these abducted children.
  
  
• Countering China's Global Basing Ambitions - Bennet joined Senators Coons (D-Del.) and Ricketts (R-Neb.) on an amendment requiring the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense to draft and implement a strategy to respond to China's efforts to open new military bases globally, including in the Western Hemisphere.

Bennet secured the following items in the Senate NDAA report:

• Indo-Pacific Space Cooperation - Amid China's threatening behavior in space, Bennet and Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) secured language - in line with their Quad Space Act - requiring the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs to brief Congress on efforts to coordinate best practices in space with allies and partners including Japan, South Korea, Australia, India.
  
  
• U.S.-Guyana Security Cooperation - Amid Venezuela's continued aggression against Guyana - a regional partner and burgeoning oil exporter that supplies crude to Europe, helping the continent reduce its reliance on Russian crude - Bennet and Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) secured language requiring the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress on current and future U.S. security cooperation with Guyana.
  
  
• Support for Critical Missions to Which Colorado Contributes - Bennet secured language supporting the Space Development Agency's (SDA) innovative acquisition model, future plans for Tactically Responsive Space (TacRS), and the enterprise-wide adoption of the Unified Data Library (UDL). Colorado's aerospace and defense industry is a major contributor to these critical national security efforts.

The Senate NDAA also included the Senate version of the Intelligence Authorization Act (IAA), in which Bennet secured the following items:

• Assessment of Russian Grayzone Efforts in NATO - Language requiring the Secretary of Defense, in an annual report to Congress, to assess Russia's efforts to undermine or destabilize U.S. national or economic security or that of NATO allies, including with sabotage and cyberattacks.
  
  
• Assessment of Expanded Western Hemisphere Partnerships - Language requiring the National Intelligence Council to assess the potential effect of expanding partnerships among countries in the Western Hemisphere, particularly with regard to the illicit drug trade, human smuggling, and China's efforts to control global manufacturing. .

The House and Senate must now conference their respective NDAAs. Bennet will work to ensure Colorado's priorities remain in the bill ahead of final passage.

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