HYDE-SMITH VOTES FOR FY2026 NATIONAL DEFENSE POLICY BILL

HYDE-SMITH VOTES FOR FY2026 NATIONAL DEFENSE POLICY BILL

Authorization Bill Moves Forward as Senate Makes Progress on Defense Spending Measures

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) late Thursday night voted for Senate passage of the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a measure that will advance President Trump's Peace Through Strength agenda by establishing policy reforms and authorizing appropriations for the U.S. Department of Defense and other national security activities.

"President Trump has set a course to restore the strength of our national defense to ensure our fighting men and women have the tools, technology, and training to defend our interest in an increasingly hostile world. The FY2026 NDAA builds on the down payment we made with the One Big Beautiful Bill by authorizing funding priorities and reforms," Hyde-Smith said. "I thank Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker for his leadership on this bill."

The Senate's FY2026 NDAA (S.2296), among other things, authorizes Pentagon budgeting and acquisition reforms, additional shipbuilding funding, and a 3.8 percent pay raise for military members. It also authorizes funding for the nation's nuclear weapons programs and military construction and family housing projects. The FY2026 NDAA, which passed 77-20, will now be referred to a conference committee to reconcile differences in a House-passed measure.

Hyde-Smith serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee and its Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (MilCon-VA).

In July, the committee passed the FY2026 MilCon-VA Appropriations Bill, which was subsequently approved by the Senate in August. The FY2026 Defense Appropriations Bill, which the committee passed in early August, is available for consideration by the full Senate. Both measures include funding for national defense projects in Mississippi.

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