Congresswoman Luz Rivas Votes Against Partisan Defense Spending Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Luz Rivas (CA-29) released the following statement after voting against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026:

"I voted against Republicans' annual defense spending bill because it does not keep our country safe, weakens the safety and readiness of our military, and ignores the struggles of working families across the country. While Republicans' disastrous policies force working families across the country to struggle, their defense spending bill empowers Trump to continue deploying our country's armed forces against Americans in cities like Los Angeles and targets the most vulnerable around us.

"Republicans excluded three of my amendments that would have: banned the removal of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at the Department of Defense; strengthened STEM education at Department of Defense schools; and streamlined manufacturing timelines to lower costs for workers across the country. My amendments, along with the amendments my House Democratic Caucus colleagues introduced, would have helped make this bill work for the people, and not for Trump.

"Republicans put forth a defense bill that gives Trump the power to commandeer our military as his personal security force while ignoring the needs of millions of Americans who are struggling to put food on the table or keep a roof over their head."

"I join my House Democratic Caucus colleagues in continuing to find solutions that lower healthcare costs and protect our democracy from Donald Trump and his Administration."

Background:

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) authorizes $882.6 billion of appropriations for the Pentagon, nuclear weapons programs through the Department of Energy, and other defense-related activities. The FY26 NDAA bill codifies Trump and Republican priorities like eliminating statutory provisions related to supporting DEI in the military, ending affirmative action at service academies, developing plans for a Golden Dome for America, and providing additional authorities to DoD to support DHS border security efforts.

Congresswoman Rivas introduced three amendments to this year's NDAA bill:

• Amendment #944: Strike Section 901, which is the prohibition of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the Department of Defense.
• Amendment #945: Requires the Secretary of Defense to study and report on STEM curriculum in Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Schools.
• Amendment #1139: Aligns timelines for advanced manufacturing updates. This is the same legislative text of Congresswoman Rivas' Streamlining American Manufacturing Strategy Act.

This year's NDAA bill passed by a vote of 196-231.

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