McClellan Statement on the FY26 NDAA
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan (VA-04) issued the following statement after the House voted to advance the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26 NDAA):
“While the FY26 NDAA is not a perfect bill and contains provisions I oppose, it represents a significant step forward in raising pay for service members; strengthening protections for civilian workers against reckless mass layoffs; investing in housing and childcare centers for service members and their families; advancing scientific research; and more. It stands as one of the few instances in this 119th Congress of an ongoing bipartisan, bicameral negotiation process based in cooperation and compromise. For these reasons, I voted yes.
“The FY26 NDAA makes marked improvements in pay, infrastructure and quality of life for our service members, their families and the service community. It bolsters our positioning as a leader on the global stage, supports our allies in countries like Ukraine, includes tens of millions in funding for scientific research at HBCUs and more. These positive changes will be felt across every sector of our nation.
“Unfortunately, the Trump Administration and Speaker Johnson continued their efforts to politicize this bill to stoke culture wars. The FY26 NDAA was no exception. I vehemently oppose their efforts to undermine Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives and the work of the Naming Commission; exclude hard-won provisions for collective bargaining rights for civilian employees and funding for in vitro fertilization; and target transgender athletes at military academies. I also share the concerns raised by the families of Flight 5342 and the National Transportation Safety Board regarding safety in the airspace around Reagan National Airport. I will continue working to address these deficiencies in the FY27 NDAA.
“Despite its shortcomings, the FY26 NDAA goes a long way to meet the quality of life needs of our service members and families, supports our nation’s military readiness and reasserts some Congressional oversight responsibility over the Department of Defense. I commend my Democratic colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee for their steadfast work to counter actions taken by the Trump Administration that consistently undermine our national security. I’ll continue to work with them and House Democrats to uplift service members and keep attention on the issues that matter to the American people, not culture wars.”
A copy of the FY26 NDAA final text summary compiled by House Armed Services Committee Democrats can be found here. A copy of the FY26 NDAA Highlights three-pager can be found here.