Rep. Roy Votes Against Bloated $1.15 Trillion NDAA

Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Chip Roy (TX-21) issued the following statement after voting against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2027 (H.R. 8800).

"While this year's National Defense Authorization Act takes some important steps toward restoring the Pentagon's focus on its core mission of defending the United States, there is still significant work to be done. I cannot support authorizing approximately $1.15 trillion in discretionary national defense spending-a staggering $251.1 billion, or 28%, increase over the previous year's authorization-without stronger accountability for how those taxpayer dollars will be spent.

I was pleased that the House included several important conservative reforms in the final bill, including prohibiting taxpayer funding for transgender surgeries, making it easier for qualified servicemembers and Department of War personnel to carry firearms on military installations, and adopting my amendment to eliminate an unproven AI voice-analysis pilot that determines which servicemembers should face drug testing and potential discipline based on government behavioral surveillance. These are meaningful improvements that will better protect our servicemembers and refocus the military on its core mission.

Unfortunately, those important reforms are outweighed by the bill's continued excessive spending and misplaced priorities, as the legislation continues to prioritize costly green energy initiatives by allowing the Department of War to purchase more expensive sustainable aviation fuel at taxpayer expense instead of focusing resources on military readiness and combat capability. The bill also falls short in promoting meaningful congressional accountability for ongoing military engagements by relying on a report on the costs of operations involving Iran rather than ensuring Congress fully debates the objectives, scope, and long-term fiscal implications of those operations.

National security requires a strong military, but it also demands fiscal responsibility and disciplined oversight. Until Congress demonstrates the same commitment to reform and accountability that it does to increasing defense spending, I cannot support this legislation," said Rep. Roy.