Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, Chairwoman of House Republican Leadership and a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, voted in favor of the final version of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Wednesday. The bill also includes the Fiscal Year 2026 Intelligence Authorization Act (IAA), which authorizes intelligence community activities for the next fiscal year.
“Today, I voted to pass the national defense authorization bill to support our troops, strengthen military readiness, and revitalize our defense industrial base. It also includes my important provision combatting the illegal weaponization of the deep state. As the chief advocate for Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division in Congress, I proudly delivered millions in funding to support the Fort Drum community in the North Country,” said Chairwoman Stefanik.
The FY26 NDAA authorizes $900.6 billion in discretionary defense spending. Additionally, a related act provides $150 billion in mandatory defense funding, bringing total annual national defense funding above $1 trillion for the first time. According to supporters, over $20 billion in savings are included due to measures targeting fraud and waste.
The legislation codifies all or part of 15 executive orders from former President Trump as well as 30 legislative provisions requested by his administration. This includes efforts to restore merit-based systems within military ranks.
Stefanik advocated for language requiring congressional notification if the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) initiates counterintelligence investigations into presidential or federal candidates seeking office. This measure aims to prevent secret investigations that could impact elections. “It was Congresswoman Stefanik’s questioning of Comey in 2017 that led to the start of the investigation into the corrupt Crossfire Hurricane operation that resulted in fully clearing President Trump’s name and exposing criminal acts from James Comey and the Obama Administration,” according to her office.
Additional provisions supported by Stefanik include funding for Rome Labs: $10 million for quantum networking research at AFRL Rome, $5 million for battle management network development, and $2.5 million for photonic quantum computing initiatives.
For Fort Drum and its associated communities, Stefanik secured a $70 million increase in aid for schools serving military families and directed reporting on missile defense system promotion efforts.
Other highlights include supporting a proposed 3.8% pay raise for servicemembers; improvements in housing, education, childcare access; new pilot programs addressing childcare worker compensation; and requirements for reports on cell phone use policies within Department of Defense schools.
Support for Israel is reflected through extended anti-tunnel cooperation programs with additional funding totaling hundreds of millions toward joint U.S.-Israel projects focusing on technology development such as artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
The bill prohibits Department of Defense contracts with companies linked to Chinese military firms or adversarial countries’ technology products while phasing out certain equipment purchases tied to these entities. There are also new restrictions designed to close loopholes regarding access by non-U.S. citizens following recent contractor incidents involving sensitive data.
Further investments are made into emerging technologies like AI and hypersonics while reforming acquisition processes within DoD structures intended to speed up delivery times for critical technologies.
Elise Stefanik has represented New York’s 21st District since 2015 after succeeding Bill Owens [source]. She was born in Albany, New York in 1984 and currently lives in Schuylerville. Stefanik graduated from Harvard University with an AB degree.
