Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026
Floor Speech
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Mr. KELLY of Mississippi. Madam Chair, I thank Chairman Rogers whose critical work on acquisition reform with Ranking Member Smith set the foundation for the advances we are making in this year's bill.
I thank my friend and Seapower Ranking Member Joe Courtney for his commitment to bipartisanship and his continued collaboration toward stronger naval and projection forces.
Finally, I thank Kyle Noyes, Kelly Goggin, Phil MacNaughton, and Abby Snyder, the subcommittee staff. I also thank my personal staff, Semaj Redd, and my fellow, Bobby Hsu.
I am excited to highlight a few of the many wins for our national defense in this year's bill. We are adding to our fleet of Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines. We ensure that new sealift vessels will be made right here in America. We are making investments in the transformative power of unmanned vehicles.
We also are advancing support for our airborne force projection needs, investing in aerial drones and antisubmarine sonobuoys, raising the floor on the minimum number of aerial refueling missions, and maintaining the inventory requirement for C-130 aircraft needed for intra-theater airlift.
This year's NDAA also makes key investments in future procurements of ships, submarines, and airborne projection forces. This gives our defense industry the base they need to continue the important work they do in so many of our communities and paves the road for a smoother procurement process going forward.
With global tensions as high as they are, it is more important than ever for America to preserve the ability to project power across even the furthest reaches of the globe, from the Pacific to the Middle East and even the Arctic. Our ability to meet any challenge near or far is critical to homeland defense and advancing our national interests.
This year's NDAA is an opportunity to make essential investments in our ability to project power across the oceans and in the air and to ensure that America's defense remains second to none, now and for generations to come. I urge all Members to support a vote in favor of this bill.
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