National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027

Floor Speech

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Mr. DesJARLAIS. 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.

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