Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026

Floor Speech

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Mr. CALVERT. Madam Chair, I thank Chairman Cole for yielding.

Madam Chair, we cannot thank Chairman Cole enough, as Chairman Womack said, for his steadfast leadership and his clear-eyed purpose to get us back to regular order and to see this end today with the passage of four final appropriations bills.

Madam Chair, I thank my partner, Betty McCollum, for her hard work and her leadership on her side of the aisle to get this done. It was not an easy process, but we were able to work together to make sure that the men and women who serve in the United States military have reliable funding to keep this country moving forward.

Madam Chair, I rise today in strong support of this bill, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2026. This legislation was a bipartisan effort by all four corners of Defense Appropriations.

Today, our country faces a dangerous and increasingly complex threat environment. China continues to advance its military capability at an unprecedented rate. While bloodied, Russia and Iran continue to threaten Europe and the Middle East. Until 1 year ago, our unsecured borders facilitated the flow of illicit drugs into this country, killing thousands of Americans.

This legislation answers the call, providing $839.2 billion for the Department of Defense and the intelligence community to protect America and deter war. This bill protects the administration's America First defense agenda, supports the Department's innovation efforts, and includes my four key priorities.

First, this bill builds a technology-equipped fighting force to ensure that we remain the strongest military in the world. It enhances investments in the fifth and sixth-generation aircraft, including the F-35, the F-47, and the F/A-XX.

This bill supports and prioritizes the modernization of the nuclear triad through investing in the B-21 Raider, the Columbia-class submarine, and the Sentinel ICBM.

It supports the Department's innovative efforts to increase efficiency and production of critical munitions. It also provides $7.1 billion to sustain the Navy ship operations and fund 17 new ships, including 7 battle-force ships, to include 1 Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine, 2 Virginia-class fast attack submarines, 3 medium landing ships, and 1 antisubmarine warfare ship. This bill also provides approximately $13.4 billion in support of other Golden Dome efforts.

Second, this bill advances innovation efforts, increases competition, and drives down costs to create a more efficient and effective Department of Defense.

This bill includes a $1.2 billion reduction for efficiencies and to streamline management functions, and it cuts $1.2 billion to support the administration's effort to reshape the civilian workforce. Furthermore, the bill delivers a 3.8 percent pay raise to our heroic military servicemembers and provides $6 billion to transfer authority to help support an agile execution of the administration's military priorities.

Third, this legislation combats international actors who are manufacturing and trafficking illegal drugs into this country. The bill provides $1.1 billion for counterdrug programs. It includes funding for the National Guard Counterdrug Program and maintains the current location for United States Southern Command headquarters, a signal of our Nation's sustained commitment to the Western Hemisphere.

Finally, this legislation prioritizes modernization, innovation, and the industrial base. It provides $18.8 billion for facility sustainment, restoration, and modernization to sustain installations, public shipyards, and other facilities.

This bill supports commercial/dual-use technology and innovative projects by providing $429.5 million for the Defense Innovation Unit, $400 million for the Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies, or APFIT.

It includes robust funding to establish the Civil Reserve Manufacturing Network and almost $98 million for the Office of Strategic Capital to facilitate over $4.3 billion in loans and loan guarantees for critical suppliers to scale public capacity.

This bill includes an investment in future defense industrial base, which has languished.

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Mr. CALVERT. Madam Chair, finally, in closing, I thank my entire staff both on the majority side and the minority side who worked diligently together. As the ranking member mentioned, we are losing one of our key staff members who went over to NRO as a deputy director, Bill Adkins. I am sure he is going to do a great job in his continued service for the United States.

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