Rep. Derek Tran Issues Statement Following House Vote on the National Defense Authorization Act of 2026

Washington, DC -U.S. Representative Derek Tran (CA-45) issued the following statement after voting against the National Defense Authorization Act of 2026 on the House Floor:

"I was proud to vote for the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act of 2026 in committee as a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Unfortunately, after a respectful and bipartisan process that put our troops first, Republicans chose to add partisan amendments that politicize our military while effectively failing to increase defense funding and ignoring increasing global threats.

"I was proud to introduce an amendment that would have prevented the divestiture of the important Joint Forces Training Base - Los Alamitos. This base is not only an anchor for our local community in Orange County, but also serves an essential role for preserving American military readiness along the entire West Coast - supporting natural disaster response, border security, and other critical missions. I was disappointed that the Republican majority refused to take up my amendment - and hundreds of other amendments to improve national security and better serve our troops - and instead prioritized political issues that have little to no relevance to the warfighter.

"Playing political games with our national defense is unacceptable. I voted against the 2026 NDAA on the House Floor because I cannot condone using this important legislation to further a partisan agenda. I will continue to seek out every possible opportunity to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to deliver for our troops and keep our country safe."

The National Defense Authorization Act of 2026 passed the House following a floor vote of 231-196.

As an Army veteran, national security remains a top priority for Representative Tran. He recently voted against H.R. 4553, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2026, because of significant cuts to the National Nuclear Security Administration's Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation that would erode our nation's ability to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. Tran introduced H.R. 4775, the bipartisan Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Foreign Interference Safeguard Act, which would help protect our country's small businesses from intellectual property theft by foreign malign actors. Representative Tran also voted in favor of H.R. 881, the DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act, to safeguard U.S. research and innovation and protect against Chinese intellectual property theft. Tran is a member of the powerful House Armed Services Committee, which oversees the Department of Defense, and serves as Co-Chair of the House Democratic Caucus National Security Task Force.

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Congressman Derek Tran represents California's 45th Congressional District. Serving his first term in Congress, Congressman Tran is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and House Small Business Committee, where he is Ranking Member of the Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations Subcommittee. Congressman Tran is the son of Vietnamese refugees, a Veteran, and fought for consumers as an attorney before entering Congress.