Díaz-Balart: FY26 NDAA Supports Troops and Delivers Peace Through Strength Agenda

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, the Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP), and member of the Defense Subcommittee, released the following statement after the passage of H. Amdt. To S. 1071, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026. 

“Under President Trump’s leadership, House Republicans are restoring our military’s focus on its vital mission of protecting the homeland and revitalizing the American military to defend the national security of the United States and its people.

Among its many wins, the FY26 NDAA supports the brave men and women serving in our armed forces by including a 3.8 percent pay raise for all servicemembers, expanding access to health care and childcare, and improving military housing.

Additionally, this legislation streamlines the delivery and development of new capabilities our warfighters urgently need by reducing burdensome red tape and better aligning promising technologies with operational requirements, ensuring our troops remain the strongest and most capable in the world.

I am proud to support legislation that prioritizes the needs of our troops while ensuring our fighting force is fully prepared and ready to defend our country.”

Key Highlights:

Protects our Homeland and Delivers on Peace Through Strength

• Counters state sponsors of terror, foreign terrorist organizations, and other adversaries.
• Deters rapidly expanding Chinese and Russian arsenals through investments in Golden Dome for America, America’s nuclear deterrence, and acceleration of space capabilities.
• Authorizes, funds, and creates new authorities to revitalize the defense industrial base, grow defense manufacturing jobs, and onshore our defense supply chains.

Improves the Servicemember Quality of Life

• Supports the Trump Administration’s 3.8% pay raise for all servicemembers.
• Reauthorizes and expands military bonuses and special pay.
• Increases Family Separation Allowance for deployed servicemembers.
• Authorizes $1.4 billion for new construction of barracks and family housing.
• Authorizes over $335 million to renovate military hospitals and build new medical facilities.
• Authorizes over $491 million to design and build new childcare centers.

Secures America’s Borders

• Fully funds deployment of National Guard and active-duty troops in support of Border Patrol activities at the southwest border.
• Authorizes President Trump’s budget request of over $1 billion to fight drug trafficking, including:
• $398 million for DoD support of Counter Narcotics operations.
• $216 million for National Guard Counter Drug programs, $100 million over the budget request.

Advances America’s Military

• The FY26 NDAA includes the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Deliver (SPEED) Act, which fundamentally reforms defense acquisition to quickly equip warfighters with needed capabilities in the most cost-effective manner.
• Streamlines and speeds bureaucratic decision-making by centralizing management of acquisition programs under a single portfolio acquisitions executive (PAE).
• Creates new accelerated requirements designed to rapidly seek innovative solutions from industry rather than prescribing exquisite systems to be built.

Restores Lethality and the Warrior Ethos

• Ends wokeism in our military
• Requires merit-based promotions
• Bans Critical Race Theory
• Ends Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs at DoD
• Combats far-left indoctrination and antisemitism
• Prevents wasteful spending of the Green New Deal climate-change programs

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