Kaine Statement on Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Bill Becoming Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and Ranking Member of the SASC Subcommittee on Seapower, released the following statement after the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes key provisions Kaine secured to advance U.S. national security, support servicemembers and their families, boost Virginia's defense industry, and strengthen relations with allies and partners, was signed into law:

"I'm glad that this year's bipartisan defense bill was signed into law today. It includes key provisions I secured to improve quality of life for servicemembers, get our shipbuilding programs back on track, and strengthen our alliances around the world. It also repeals the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force-a historic victory for all Americans, especially the veterans of the Iraq wars. I will continue working with my colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee to support our military members and families and advance our national security."

During the SASC markup of the FY26 NDAA, an amendment to restore the names of three Virginia military bases to those chosen by a bipartisan commission was passed by voice vote. The House Armed Services Committee similarly passed an amendment to restore the names of all military bases on a bipartisan basis. However, the provisions were removed at the last minute because President Trump indicated that he would veto the entire defense bill over it like he did in 2020.

Kaine successfully secured the following provisions:

Pay Raises, Allowances, and Workforce Recruitment:

• Authorizes a 3.8 percent pay raise for military personnel.
• Directs the Secretary of Defense to ensure that pay statements for military servicemembers include clear descriptions for each type of pay, allowance, and deduction.
• Provides the Secretary of Defense with direct hiring authority for up to 60 graduates of the Defense Civilian Training Corps (DCTC) every calendar year and requires a report to Congress on the use of this hiring authority. DCTC is a pilot program that recruits and trains college students for careers as Department of Defense civilian employees.

Repeal of 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs): Includes bipartisan legislation led by Kaine and Senator Todd Young (R-IN) to repeal the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs and formally end the Iraq wars. The legislation was included in the House and Senate's version of this year's NDAA.

Aviation Safety: Requires that all aircraft of the Department of Defense that operate near commercial airports be equipped with broadcast positioning technology with some exceptions for certain training exercises that are complicated by this technology. Requires that the Department of Defense improve how it shares aviation safety data with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This comes in response to the January 29, 2025 collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines flight 5342 near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) that took the lives of 67 people. Kaine shaped the original version of this provision, which was later altered during the conference process. He has emphasized that the final version of the provision is only an intermediate step, and that he will work with colleagues to incorporate recommendations from the forthcoming National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Army investigations in future legislation, including legislation to remove slots from DCA.

Shipbuilding Investments:

• Authorizes procurement of naval surface vessels, including Medium Landing Ships.
• Authorizes increased funding for one Virginia-class submarine.
• Authorizes procurement of five Columbia-class submarines.
• Requires the Secretary of the Navy to move leadership for surface ship maintenance at private shipyards to Type Commanders and directs a new contracting strategy that emphasizes workforce stability and collaborative planning.
• Exempts the public shipyard workforce from reductions related to spending cuts or reprogramming of funds and protects personnel on probationary status.

Contaminated Wells Relocation Act: Includes Kaine's bipartisan, bicameral legislation to authorize NASA to negotiate an agreement with the Town of Chincoteague to address costs associated with relocating contaminated water wells, reimburse for those identified costs, and provide more local control of the water supply to the Town of Chincoteague. Several of the Town's wells are located on NASA property and have been contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). While the well water is currently being treated to remove PFAS and is safe to drink, these treatments must occur regularly, which is an ongoing cost for NASA. This bill offers a permanent solution to resolve the contamination management hurdle while saving the federal government money.

Military Construction: Authorizes $890,460,000 for military construction (MILCON) in Virginia.

• $380,000,000 for Public-Private Venture (PPV) unaccompanied housing for junior enlisted sailors stationed at Naval Station Norfolk, Naval Air Station Oceana, Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, and Newport News Shipyard. Part of this funding will be used to construct a housing facility for 1,500 sailors near Newport News Shipyard. Kaine has advocated for better housing for sailors near the shipyard to improve quality of life following multiple suicides by sailors assigned to the USS George Washington during its long maintenance and refueling overhaul.
• $188,000,000 for Dry Dock 3 modernization at Norfolk Naval Shipyard.
• $93,300,000 for Electric Distribution System upgrades at Naval Station Norfolk.
• $71,700,000 for weapons magazines at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown.
• $63,500,000 for a Water Treatment Plant at Marine Corps Base Quantico.
• $34,000,000 for operations center at the Pentagon.
• $20,400,000 for MQ-25 facilities at Naval Station Norfolk.
• $15,500,000 for an Aircraft Maintenance Hangar at Virginia Army National Guard's Army Aviation Support Facility in Sandston.
• $12,360,000 for a Child Development Center at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story.
• $11,700,000 for a Child Development Center at Naval Station Norfolk.

Military Housing:

• Authorizes increased funding to construct, repair, and improve enlisted barracks across the services.
• Requires the Secretary of Defense to publish a clear, accessible document that explains how Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates are determined.
• Requires the Secretary of Defense to develop an alternative methodology for calculating BAH based on the typical cost of housing units by number of bedrooms, conduct a pilot program using the new methodology, and brief Congress on the findings.
• Requires the Secretary of Defense to include additional oversight mechanisms for any renegotiation of the contract under the Global Household Goods Contract or negotiation of a new contract under the Global Household Goods Contract of any successor program or contract.

Health Care:

• Expands efforts to mitigate and treat traumatic brain injuries and blast overpressure-related injuries.
• Requires the Secretary of Defense to authorize military medical treatment facilities to provide sexual assault medical forensic examinations to all victims, not just those who are eligible under TRICARE.
• Requires the National Guard Bureau to provide an annual report on the number of Guardsmen who participate in Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) training per year.
• Requires the establishment of a demonstration program to expand partnerships between the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities for the purpose of increasing case volume for graduate medical education programs.

Military Families:

• Authorizes funding for child care fee assistance programs to eliminate fee assistance wait lists for eligible families.
• Requires the Secretary of Defense to improve staffing of special education teachers and staff and improve special education offerings at Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) schools.
• Requires an update to existing DODEA regulations on the student use of portable electronic mobile devices in DODEA schools to prohibit disruption in the learning environment.
• Authorizes funding for Impact Aid, including funding to support military children with severe disabilities. Impact Aid reimburses school districts for the cost of educating children who reside on military installations or have a parent that works on a military installation or federal property. Because military families may not pay certain state or local taxes where they are stationed, Impact Aid helps offset these costs to support schools.

Oversight of Military Action in Caribbean: Fences certain travel funding for the Secretary of Defense until he provides unredacted videos of all strikes that have occurred in Latin America as well as copies of all classified Execute Orders (EXORDS) issued by the Department of Defense.

European Security, NATO, and Ukraine:

• Prohibits a reduction in U.S. military posture in Europe or relinquishment of U.S. command of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe position until the Secretary of Defense assesses the impact on U.S. and NATO and certifies to Congress that such action is in the national interest.
• Authorizes funding for the NATO Security Investment Program.
• Extends and authorizes funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
• Requires the Secretary of Defense to deliver a report on acceleration options for the JUMPSTART initiative, which allows European partners to purchase weapons for Ukraine from U.S. defense companies.

Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) Partnership:

• Includes Kaine's bipartisan legislation with Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) to strengthen the AUKUS agreement by streamlining defense industrial base collaboration and co-production of Virginia-class submarines.
• Directs further collaboration between the AUKUS countries on IT infrastructure and directs the Department of Defense to provide an update on who it has assigned to be the senior civilian defense official to lead the U.S. work on this agreement and continue the updates required by the FY24 NDAA.

Taiwan: Authorizes funding for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative and directs the Department of Defense to engage with Taiwan to develop a joint program to codevelop and coproduce uncrewed and counter-uncrewed capabilities.

U.S. Posture in Indo-Pacific:

• Authorizes funding for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI), which enhances U.S. force posture, infrastructure, readiness, capacity, and capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.
• Prohibits a reduction in U.S. military posture on the Korean Peninsula or a change in wartime operational control over the Combined Forces Command until the Secretary of Defense certifies to Congress that such action is in the national interest.
• Directs an initiative to strengthen security cooperation across the respective defense industrial bases of U.S. allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific.

Philippines Enhanced Resilience Act (PERA) Act: Includes Kaine's bipartisan legislation with Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) to strengthen and modernize the U.S.-Philippines alliance through increased U.S. security assistance.

Combating PRC Overseas and Unlawful Networked Threats through Enhanced Resilience (COUNTER) Act: Includes Kaine's bipartisan legislation with Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) to limit the PRC's attempts to strengthen its global reach by expanding its overseas basing efforts.

Korean American Divided Families National Registry Act: Includes Kaine's bipartisan legislation with Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) to help reunite Korean Americans who have been separated from their relatives in North Korea since the Korean War.

Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act: Includes Kaine's bipartisan legislation with Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Rick Scott (R-FL), John Curtis (R-UT), and Chris Coons (D-DE) to address ongoing gang violence in Haiti.

Israel: Authorizes funding for the Israeli Cooperative Missile Defense Program, including the Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Arrow. Since February 2024, Kaine has called for the transfer of defensive, rather than offensive, weapons to Israel in order to prevent further escalation that puts civilians and U.S. servicemembers in the region at risk.

Uncrewed Aircraft Systems:

• Provides authorities for the protection of military installations, nuclear facilities, and key infrastructure from unmanned aerial systems. This comes after several drone incursions over Langley Air Force Base and other sites in Hampton Roads in December 2023.
• Requires the Department of Defense to develop a roadmap for the small, unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) industrial base to support existing sUAS programs.
• Requires a briefing on the plan for installation commanders to engage UAS on U.S. military installations by both kinetic and non-kinetic means.

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