Durbin Secures Key Provisions To Support Rock Island Arsenal, Defense Manufacturing In Illinois In National Defense Authorization Act

Durbin Secures Key Provisions To Support Rock Island Arsenal, Defense Manufacturing In Illinois In National Defense Authorization Act

The FY26 NDAA, which passed the Senate today and now heads to the President's desk, includes a number of Durbin-led measures & authorizations for military construction projects in Illinois

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, today highlighted the critical provisions he secured in the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was passed by the Senate today and now heads to the President's desk for signature. The bill includes significant support for Rock Island Arsenal, provides security aid to Ukraine, and authorizes $113 million in military construction funds for Illinois.

"The NDAA is a strong, bipartisan show of support for our national defense and to our men and women in uniform. The bill, which has earned the support of both chambers of Congress, includes my provisions to ensure that Rock Island Arsenal remains central to our nation's effort to modernize the military and strengthens security cooperation with our allies around the world," said Durbin.

Durbin-led measures included in the FY26 NDAA are:

Rock Island Arsenal:

• Authorizes a new pilot program modeled after Durbin's Arsenal Workload Sustainment Act to give contracting preference to public-private partnerships between industry and Army arsenals such as at Rock Island. This provision will help ensure Rock Island Arsenal remains active and viable while preserving the skilled workforce, equipment, and production capacity critical to the nation's defense industrial base.

• Restricts the Army from using any funds allocated for restructuring until the Army provides more information about its proposed plan to integrate Joint Munitions Command and Army Sustainment Command, helping to ensure operations and protect jobs at Rock Island Arsenal from unnecessary cuts.

• Authorizes the Army to expand robotic munitions manufacturing capabilities at government-owned, contractor-operated facilities, which will help boost workload for facilities such as the Quad City Cartridge Case Facility.

Oversight

• Requires the Department of Defense (DoD) to notify Congress on immigration enforcement support to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to include the use of military aircraft for deportation flights, the use of DoD bases for detention, and other support to improve congressional and public oversight amid the Trump Administration's increased use of the military for immigration operations.

• Enhances oversight of the use of service members to support domestic law enforcement, including increased legal training for all service members on rules of engagement and appropriate public identification of service members providing support on U.S. soil.

• Requires a congressional notification if the President removes a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from office or transfers them to another position before the end of their term to enhance oversight of the Trump Administration's actions.

• Limits funding for the consolidation of geographic combatant commands to enhance oversight of the Trump Administration's actions.

PFAS

• Requires DoD to develop a plan to procure chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear personnel protective garments free from toxic PFAS chemicals.

Government Contracts

• Supports APEX Accelerators, including in Illinois, which help small businesses be more competitive for DoD and other government contracts.

Foreign Relations

• Codifies Durbin's Baltic Security Initiative, particularly timely amid reports that the Pentagon was seeking to eliminate such security assistance programs. Durbin created this program in Fiscal Year 2021 to strengthen U.S. security cooperation with the Baltics amid an increase of Russian hybrid attacks in the Baltics and across Europe, and Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.

• Condemns Russia's illegal abduction of Ukrainian children.

• Prohibits funds to recognize sovereign Ukrainian territory forcibly seized by Russia.

• Extends and increases the authorization for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative from $300 million to $400 million and authorizes continued intelligence sharing for Ukraine.

• Prohibits the reduction of U.S. Armed Forces stationed and equipment in Europe, over concerns that President Trump may remove U.S. troops from Germany, Poland, or the Baltics.

• Strengthens the trilateral AUKUS security pact.

Quantum

• Accelerates quantum research efforts across the Department of Defense, which will support work at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park in Chicago.

Veterans' Health

• Reauthorizes for another year the Treasury account to provide for the operations of the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago.

Impact Aid

• Authorizes $80 million for Impact Aid programs to provide financial assistance to school districts that support military families in compensation for the lost local tax base imposed upon by a neighboring military installation.

Military Construction

• Authorizes Military Construction funds for the following projects in Illinois:

Law Enforcement and Survivor Support

• Includes four bills that were unanimously reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee during National Police Week in May:

Supreme Court Security

• Authorizes the Marshal of the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court Police to protect retired or former Supreme Court justices and their immediate families if they determine there is a need.

-30-