“I ask that members have five days to add their written statements on this bill to the official record.”

“Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 8800. The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Womack). Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Alabama? There was no objection.”

“I want Congress to pass this defense bill. Our military factories cannot make weapons and ships fast enough, while China is outproducing us. This bill spends $1.15 trillion to rebuild our factories and supply chains, raise pay for service members, and improve their housing and childcare. It also cuts $30 billion in waste and pushes the military to pass a financial audit.”

“Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, throughout our committee’s oversight hearings this year, we have heard a consistent theme: The defense industrial base, the foundation of our military power, is in deep trouble. Over the last 30 years, the defense industrial base has atrophied significantly. We are no longer capable of manufacturing for our warfighters at scale and speed. In the 1990s, America had 51 prime defense contractors. Today only six remain. Skilled talent has left the workforce, leaving hundreds of thousands of defense manufacturing jobs unfilled. Excessive regulation pushed small businesses, startups, and private capital out of the defense business. Inconsistent demand signals discouraged prime contractors from investing in production capacity. As a result, our stockpiles of critical defense articles have fallen to dangerously low levels. That includes critical minerals, which we have very little capacity to mine, refine, or process. While America allowed vital manufacturing capability to erode, China did not. China’s shipbuilding capacity dwarfs ours. They are outproducing us on ships, drones, and munitions. They control over 90 percent of the world’s critical mineral refining and processing capacity, and they have embedded themselves deep within our defense supply chains. The consequences are clear. There are growing doubts about our ability to sustain a protracted conflict against China and our other adversaries, and that is unacceptable. We must take action to address these problems before American deterrence erodes any further. The FY27 NDAA, takes that action. This year’s bill is focused on revitalizing the defense industrial base. We are giving industry the certainty it needs to invest, expand, and produce faster. We are cutting needless regulations that prevent innovative businesses from working with the Pentagon. We are reviving our organic industrial base by improving conditions at our depots, arsenals, and shipyards. We are securing our supply chain by giving the Department authorities to better identify vulnerabilities and then replace them with domestic or allied sources, and we are creating new jobs and helping Americans build advanced technical skills. In addition to revitalizing the defense industrial base, the NDAA meets our other crucial needs. We are raising pay for servicemembers and improving housing, education, and childcare for military families. We are strengthening our nuclear deterrence and missile defense, while maintaining a strong posture to deter our adversaries, and we are prioritizing the development of innovative technologies that will give our warfighters the edge in future conflicts. To support these policies, we are authorizing $1.15 trillion in discretionary funds to match President Trump’s historic budget request. For the first time in 40 years, we have been presented a budget that accounts for the true cost of American deterrence. This top line begins to reverse the damage caused by decades of underinvestment in the U.S. military. However, we understand that with this historic investment comes an even more urgent need to guard against waste, fraud, and abuse. The bill does so by cutting nearly $30 billion in wasteful spending, reducing fraudulent payments, and providing new authorities to ensure the Pentagon achieves a full, clean audit within 24 months. Peace through strength doesn’t begin on the battlefield. It begins in our factories, our depots, and our shipyards. This bill reflects our commitment to rebuilding that foundation. It will build the ready, capable, and lethal fighting force we need to deter China and other adversaries. Mr. Chair, I urge all my colleagues to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time.”

“I want the House to pass this military defense bill. It buys new fighter jets and helicopters, improves our drone technology, and helps the military produce more ammunition.”

“Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support today of H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027. I thank Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith for their leadership in putting together this critical piece of legislation. I also thank my friend and subcommittee Ranking Member Don Norcross for his partnership in leading the Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces. Also, I thank our Tactical Air and Land professional staff: Michael Kirlin, Heath Bope, Caroline Kehrli, Brooke Alred, Amelia Litynski, Jay Vallario, and Andrew Smith. The FY27 NDAA takes several steps to ensure that our servicemembers operate with unmatched capabilities to deter and defeat any adversaries. This bill allows the Secretary of War to enter into multiyear procurement contracts for both the F-15EX and F-35 aircraft. H.R. 8800 prioritizes helicopter and rotorcraft procurement, authorizing the purchase of additional Chinook, Black Hawk, and Grey Wolf helicopters. It also fully funds the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft program to continue development of the MV-75 Cheyenne. Our forces must excel in both offensive and counter-small UAS mission sets. This bill also assists the Department in achieving this by standardizing sUAS operating systems, establishing sUAS test ranges to inform and accelerate drone innovation. To counter such systems, the bill strengthens the definition of counter-UAS systems and applies standards for networked, autonomous, kinetic capabilities for sUAS defense. This NDAA also emphasizes the importance of our munitions supply. It directs the Army to expand and upgrade facilities used to manufacture 155-millimeter artillery rounds and advances the integration of novel energetics into weapon systems. Lastly, the bill leans into innovation by expediting the development and procurement of nontraditional intermediate-range fires capabilities. Mr. Chairman, this is an extremely strong bill that sends a signal to our servicemembers that we have their back. I urge this bill’s passage.”

“I want the House to pass this defense bill. It funds our nuclear weapons, expands missile defense, and gives a major budget increase to the Space Force. It also raises pay for service members, rebuilds our ammunition supplies, and cuts thirty billion dollars in waste.”

“Mr. Chairman, I rise today in favor of the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act. As the chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, I was proud to work in a bipartisan fashion along with my friend Ranking Member Seth Moulton on some of the most consequential issues to our national security. This legislation authorizes full funding to keep modernizing the Nation’s nuclear forces as well as the Department of Energy’s scientific and production capabilities upon which our deterrent depends. It also approves acquisition flexibility for the nuclear enterprise and refocuses statutory requirements related to plutonium pit production on the long-term need for the deterrent. We authorize significant increases for many programs that support the Golden Dome Initiative and border missile defense efforts, including space-based sensing, development of the Next-Generation Interceptor, and procurement of Standard Missile 3 interceptors. In space, we require a single official to lead the vital positioning, navigation, and timing enterprise and eliminate the current PNT bureaucracy. We also streamline redundant space acquisition organizations to build on the progress made last year to reform acquisitions. Perhaps most importantly, this bill authorizes a historic increase in the Space Force’s budget. This will allow them bring online the next generation of systems necessary to fight and win in space and support new missions to address emerging threats. This bill prioritizes the industrial base, expands U.S. defense production capacity, and supports the President’s request to raise all servicemembers’ pay. It rebuilds depleted munition stockpiles through new authorities and saves taxpayers over $30 billion by cutting inefficient programs and government bureaucracy. I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in support of this legislation.”

“I want the House to pass this defense bill. It buys new submarines, warships, drones, and military planes to keep our military strong and protect our country.”

“Mr. Chair, I start by commending the chairman for his leadership over the committee for the last 6 years. I am excited to highlight a few of the many wins for the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee in this year’s bill. The committee-reported product authorizes the procurement of the fourth Columbia-class submarine, two Virginia-class submarines, two guided missile destroyers, and two amphibious warships. Combined with incremental funding authority for long-lead time components for the Virginia-class program, multiyear procurement authority for destroyers, and multiship procurement authority for future amphibious warships, we are supporting responsible investments in the future of our surface fleet and in the continued growth of our subsea advantages. At the same time, we are growing our asymmetric capabilities, investing in transformational and innovative unmanned systems like the MQ-25 carrier-launched unmanned aircraft and unmanned surface vehicles to complement our traditional platforms in a lethal and high-low mix. The bill also contains parts of the SHIPS for America Act, which will help us down the path to a rejuvenated maritime industrial base. We are also reinforcing our commitment to our force projection and airborne combat capabilities, with procurement of intra-theater airlift, 12 P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, 6 E-2Ds Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft, a new strategic sealift vehicle, and a bulk fuel vehicle. We also provide authorities for cost savings and a consistent demand signal to industry for a multiyear procurement of E- 2D aircraft, as well. The challenges of our global security environment are only growing more complex, but what cannot change is our ability to project American power. The technology and platforms may change with the moment, but the end goal remains the same: peace through strength. This is a strong bill that makes essential steps toward delivering on the promise now and for the years to come. Mr. Chair, I urge all Members to vote ``yes.’’ I also thank my Ranking Member, Joe Courtney, and the staff: Kyle Noyes, Kelly Goggin, Jeanine Womble, Abby Snyder, and my personal staff, Semaj Redd, Shields Armstrong, and our fellow, Marc Mundy for all their hard work. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for allowing me to speak in favor of the FY27 NDAA.”

“I want the House to pass this defense bill. It gives our military the newest technology, including artificial intelligence. It also increases military spending to 4.5 percent of our gross domestic product so we can prevent wars and keep the nation safe.”

“Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027. I thank Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith for their leadership in compiling this bill. By the way, it passed with a huge bipartisan majority in committee. I also thank my friend and subcommittee ranking member, Mr. Ro Khanna, for his collaboration this year, and I appreciate the great subcommittee staff who do such a fantastic job. As we have seen across modern battlefields, technology is evolving at a faster rate than ever before. Artificial intelligence, cyber, quantum, biotechnology, and other emerging capabilities are changing the way wars are fought and won. The United States is the gold standard for scientific innovation, and it is of the utmost importance that we remain committed to equipping our servicemembers with the most up-to-date, state-of-the-art, and mission-relevant tools available. This year’s NDAA delivers on that promise by supporting our defense industrial base, our science and technology communities, and our warfighters. The FY27 NDAA helps lay the foundation for our future technological edge by providing budget certification authority for the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering to enable better oversight of the military services’ S&T budgets and priorities. This bill also requires the Department to review, update, and modernize its policies on leveraging AI for military functions, ensuring more secure and robust development of AI capabilities. The FY27 NDAA also helps tackle the ``valley of death’’ by requiring more formal integration and technology transition between the Defense Innovation Unit and military services. Finally, this Defense bill importantly restores our defense spending to 4.5 percent of the GDP, which is critical to deter conflict and reinforce America’s commitment to ensuring security and stability around the world. This NDAA is a strong, bipartisan bill that takes care of our servicemembers and promotes U.S. military dominance, and I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 8800.”

“I want the House to pass this military bill. It spends 1.15 trillion dollars to build up our armed forces, buy ships and planes, and take care of service members and their families. We need this money to keep the country safe from threats around the world.”

“Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for yielding. Each of us swore an oath to support and defend the U.S. Constitution. It is the basis for which we serve. Within our Constitution is the enumerated responsibility of Congress to raise an army and maintain a navy. Our committee fulfilled our constitutional duty when we reported the National Defense Authorization Act to the floor today. As our chairman indicated, we are delivering on President Trump’s request to authorize the first of two defense appropriations, including this authorization of $1.15 trillion. While there is much to be made about the generational investments in ships and aviation, this bill also fully supports the sustainment of the defense enterprise. It strengthens our Nation’s commitments to our servicemembers and their families, and it delivers major quality-of- life initiatives, including significant funding for facilities. Now, it is easy for some Members to reject this bill because it provides too much money for our national security. Theirs is a false hope that a chaotic and irreverent global disorder will never reach the shores of our magnificent Nation. I reject this premise. I believe we are already in a strategic race for the continued rise and stability of our Nation. This defense budget sits as the cornerstone of this great enterprise. We need to fulfill our constitutional responsibility, and we need it now. I thank my Subcommittee on Readiness ranking member, Mr. John Garamendi, and our personnel and professional staff that serve our Subcommittee on Readiness for their work on this bill. We are united in purpose, in making our Department of War a presence to be respected in both peace and, if necessary, prevail in conflict. I commend Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Smith for delivering this magnificent defense bill.”

“I want the House to pass this defense bill. It adds about $1.3 billion for special operations, improves our military intelligence, and strengthens our weapons makers. It also renames the defense department back to the Department of War.”

“Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027. I will begin by thanking Chairman Rogers for his leadership in bringing the NDAA to the floor for the 66th consecutive year. As chairman of the Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations, I am especially proud that this bill provides our Special Operations Forces, the Defense Intelligence Enterprise, and the Security Cooperation Enterprise with the tools and resources needed to execute the Department’s National Defense Strategy and counter an ever- changing threat landscape. Crucially, this bill provides an approximately $1.3 billion increase in funding for U.S. Special Operations Command to address critical needs within its programs. The bill also invests in a wide range of intelligence capabilities and disciplines, including my provision to develop a periodic ISR strategy to make better threat-informed decisions. We continue to ask more of our Special Operations Forces, uniform and civilian intelligence personnel, and Security Cooperation Enterprise personnel. This year’s NDAA ensures that they are equipped with the capabilities necessary to maintain their operational edge over any adversary. I also highlight that this bill advances critical reforms to revitalize our defense industrial base, restore lethality, and deliver on President Trump’s Peace Through Strength agenda. I was proud to lead efforts to support test and training space for unmanned aerial systems, incorporate foreign military sales demand into domestic industrial base assessments, and to officially restore the name of the Department of War. Finally, I recognize the tremendous work of the professional staff from the ISO Subcommittee and my personal office in developing this bill. I also thank Ranking Member Jason Crow for his hard work in this endeavor. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 8800.”

“I want the House to pass this military defense bill. It raises pay and improves healthcare and childcare for service members and their families. It also bases military promotions and hiring only on merit instead of race or sex.”

“Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Rogers for his dedication. He is a great American truly, and it has been an honor to serve under him. I also thank Ranking Member Smith for his good-faith efforts to do everything he can to protect our country. He is truly a credit, and I thank him from the bottom of my heart for his work on this bill. The fiscal year 2027 NDAA contains substantial wins for servicemembers and their families and continues the committee’s tradition of improving the quality of life of servicemembers and their families by authorizing a substantial pay raise, expanding childcare, reauthorizing special pays and bonuses, a significant overhaul of the military health system, and multiple military justice reforms. The bill also expands access to healthcare, increases dental coverage for our children and members of the Guard and Reserve, prevents the elimination of uniformed doctors, and increases access to specialty care. Additionally, this bill invests in our defense industrial base by completely restructuring the pay and personnel policies for our wage- grade employees in order to increase wages and reward our hardest workers with quicker promotions and more substantial bonuses. The fiscal year 2027 NDAA includes essential reforms that we all know are critical to refocus our military on warfighting and lethality by requiring all personnel actions to be based on individual merit and demonstrated performance, rather than race, ethnicity, or sex, and preventing the weaponization of administrative investigations. Mr. Chairman, I strongly urge the passage of the fiscal year 2027 NDAA so we can deliver on our promises to our servicemembers and their families. I personally wish to thank from my personal office: Andrew Bond and Jay Knoxville, and also our professional staff here: Dave Giachetti, Hannah Kaufman, Ali Evers, Ellie Bender, Anna Reed and from the minority staff: Ilka Regino and Michaela Reardon for their work on this bill. They have all been really great to work with, and I think we had a wonderful year. I also thank again the leadership from the chairman and the ranking member.”

“I want the House to pass this defense bill. It gives our military modern weapons and new technology to face our enemies and protect our allies.”

“Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to support the National Defense Authorization Act. We all appreciate Chairman Mike Rogers for his leadership and commitment for our men and women in uniform and for promoting peace through strength. We are in a conflict we did not choose between dictators with rule of gun invading democracies with rule of law. This National Defense Authorization Act prepares America for emerging threats from our adversaries who, working together, seek to destroy our hard-won freedom. This bill makes clear that we stand with our allies against murderous invasion. America is engaged in worldwide competition. There is inclusion of robust authorization for nuclear modernization, emerging technologies, information operations, and industrial capacity advancements. President Donald Trump has made it clear: We will defend American families with our allies and give our warriors the tools they need to win. Israeli research has been vital for missile defense, and Ukraine is leading on drones and robotics. The late Sergeant Thomas Caughman of Lexington, South Carolina, an American hero, is correct: Freedom is not free. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.”

“I want Congress to pass this defense bill. It raises pay for service members by up to 7 percent and buys the ships, planes, and weapons our military needs. It also improves healthcare, expands childcare, and supports military families.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act. As a Navy veteran, former helicopter pilot, Navy spouse, and Navy mom, I know our military is only as strong as the men and women who serve. This bill puts our warfighters first by supporting a pay raise of up to 7 percent and providing them with the training, equipment, and resources they need to fight, win, and return home safely. It strengthens American airpower, rebuilds our munitions stockpiles, advances unmanned and next-generation technologies, and invests in ships the Navy needs. It also supports American shipbuilders, ship repair professionals, aviators, and maintainers who keep our fleet at sea and our aircraft in the sky. I am proud that my provisions will accelerate the development of American-made unmanned surface vessels, bring greater transparency to TRICARE, fight to protect pharmacy choice, expand access to childcare, and improve military nursing staff shortages. This bill delivers peace through strength for our military, for our families, and for Virginia’s Second Congressional District and Hampton Roads. Mr. Chair, I urge its passage.”

“I want the House to pass this defense bill. It spends nearly $1.9 billion on Guam's defense and helps our local economy. It extends a guest worker program, helps local farmers sell food to the military, trains students, and stops the military from taking over 100 acres of local land.”

“Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act. Guam is on the front line of America’s national security in the Pacific. This bill delivers nearly $1.9 billion in vital defense investments on the island while ensuring the people of Guam remain a priority. This legislation secures an extension to the H-2B workforce provision through 2035 to guarantee long-term stability for our local economy. It sets a target for military commissaries to source at least 15 percent of produce from local farmers, expanded workforce credentialing for our students, and protected local land by removing a proposed military acquisition of over 100 acres. Guam has carried a tremendous share of our Nation’s defense responsibilities for generations. As the people of Guam continue to serve this country, the passage of this NDAA will, in turn, serve our island. Mr. Chairman, I urge our colleagues to support the passage of this bipartisan bill.”

“I want the House to pass my amendment. The military has a program to give contracts to worker-owned small businesses, but companies must be 100 percent worker-owned to qualify. This leaves out thousands of businesses. My amendment lowers that requirement so more of these companies can compete for military contracts.”

“Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Likewise, the gentleman from Alabama is an amazing chairman. We appreciate everything he has done for the National Defense Authorization Act but also for our warfighters. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of my amendment in the National Defense Authorization Act. Right now, our Nation’s Defense Industrial Base is facing a massive supply chain crisis. We need to innovate, be agile and resilient, and we need to win. The answer is right here in our small businesses, especially our employee-owned small businesses, also known as ESOPs. In 2021, the Department of Defense created a pilot program to incentivize contracting with high-performing, worker-owned companies. It was a great idea, but under the current rules, a business must be 100 percent employee-owned to qualify. Mr. Chairman, that rigid rule locks out nearly 6,500 ESOPs nationwide, covering 14 million to 15 million American workers. It makes the program completely unusable for the vast majority of ESOPs in place in every district represented in this Chamber. My amendment fixes this by aligning the ESOP threshold with the Small Business Administration rules and giving the Department of War the discretion to rate these companies on merit and not formula. Data shows that employee-owned companies consistently perform better, stay resilient, and deliver higher value. By lowering this arbitrary barrier, we support these businesses while we boost competition in the DOW procurement, support American workers, and drive Federal dollars back to the Main Street. Let’s empower our small businesses, strengthen our national security, and pass this amendment.”

“I oppose this amendment. Defense contracts should only go to companies that are completely owned by their workers. This amendment lets companies qualify even if they are only partly owned by workers and still controlled by a few people.”

“Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment. This amendment would compromise the intent of the program. Congress created and strengthened the pilot program to incentivize the Department of Defense to contract with businesses that are wholly owned by their employees. This wasn’t a partisan idea. It was championed by Members from across the political spectrum because it works for the Department and for the workforce. My district is home to companies that have flourished under full employee ownership, and their success underscores exactly why this program was designed the way it was. Yes, this amendment would extend that benefit to partially owned firms where a single owner or a small group retains control. The benefit shifts away from the employees this program was designed to reward and undermines the very purpose of the pilot program. For this reason, I respectfully oppose the amendment.”