Scott Votes for Defense Bill for FY25

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after voting for the final passage of S. 1071, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026:

"The FY26 NDAA provides support to servicemembers, guarantees the defense of the American people, and invests in shipbuilding and our national security. This bill includes a 3.8% raise for all servicemembers, extends efforts to improve childcare and military housing, and protects workers from reduction in force at a public shipyard without cause.

"As the representative of Hampton Roads, home to significant military installations, I am proud that the final bill supports our region's shipbuilding industrial base with $26 billion for shipbuilding provisions that includes full funding for the advance procurement of the first CVN-82 and full funding of the Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier Program, as well as full funding of the third Columbia-class Ballistic Missile Submarine and one Virginia-class Submarine. The final bill also improves the AUKUS agreement between our partners and strengthens the efficiency of the agreement. The bill also authorizes funding for military construction projects across Hampton Roads including funding for a Child Development Center at Naval Station Norfolk and Dry Dock 3 Modernization at Norfolk Naval Shipyard."

"I am thankful that many culture war provisions included in the original House-passed version of this year's NDAA were ultimately rejected such as provisions attacking LGBTQ+ servicemembers, undermining efforts to diversify our fighting force, and restricting university research. Ultimately, this bill supports our service members and our allies while ensuring America's national security."

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