Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2026
Floor Speech
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Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Chair, I rise today to speak in support of amendment No. 159, to provide funding for the purchase of heavy dump trucks, or HDTs, for the Active Army, the Army National Guard, and the Army Reserve.
While much of the focus in our FY26 Defense appropriations bill is on weapons and on other Defense materials, the tools that our military use to ensure that the infrastructure is in place to support our servicemembers are just as critical to our Nation's success.
HDTs are necessary for the construction and the maintenance of supply routes, airfields, helipads, and logistical facilities in both combat and noncombat zones.
Currently, our military is forced to rely on an outdated and an unreliable fleet of trucks. Upgrading these vehicles will provide our servicemembers with up-to-date safety features such as blind spot detection, collision avoidance, and antilock brakes that are common in most modern vehicles.
Additionally, modernization of the fleet will also accommodate armored ballistic cabs, vitally critical for protecting our warfighters.
Not only will this amendment ensure that our servicemembers can utilize modern technology when building the infrastructure that our warfighters rely on, but it also puts millions of dollars into local economies throughout our country.
From my home State of Pennsylvania to Minnesota, communities across the United States play a vital role in supporting the HDT industrial base. This amendment will continue to support the hardworking Americans who build these trucks.
Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment to ensure our servicemembers have the most up-to-date technology to support our warfighters.
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Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Chair, I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Mackenzie).
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Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.
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