Congressman Blake Moore Secures Key Wins in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026

Congressman Blake Moore Secures Key Wins in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026

WASHINGTON - Congressman Blake Moore issued the following statement on his vote in support of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):

"As co-chair of the House Military Depot Caucus and the House Air Force Caucus, I have worked to secure numerous bipartisan policy measures in the NDAA that will strengthen the defense industrial base and the long-term health of facilities like the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill Air Force Base and Tooele Army Depot in Northern Utah," Congressman Blake Moore said. "This year's NDAA provides improved resources for our servicemembers and their families, promotes critical Made-In-America equipment manufacturing, and ensures our armed forces have the tools they need to remain second to none on the global stage."

Congressman Moore secured wins in the FY26 NDAA that will help advance the mission set and benefit the servicemembers at Hill Air Force Base (HAFB) and worked with the House Armed Services Committee to include several standalone amendments and bills adopted in the House-passed version:

• Led a floor amendment, in conjunction with Senator James Lankford (R-OK), to widen the definition of "direct hire authority" for depots and industrial facilities. This new definition will include supporting staff and units, such as program and management analysts, facilities mechanics, training instructors, and those involved in safety/occupational health. It will enable facilities like HAFB to use direct hire authority to quickly hire new staff, manage attrition, recruit for increased workload, and reduce reliance on private contractors.

• Led the Depot Investment Reform Act, which amends the calculation of minimum required capital investment for DOD depots. Instead of using the average over the past three fiscal years, the requirement will now be based on the preceding, current, and estimated amount for the upcoming fiscal year. This will ensure that annual DOD investments into our depots are more closely tied to future workload and readiness needs and will help our depots better plan, staff, and manage emergency scenarios.

• Introduced the FALCON Act, which requires the Air Force to incorporate depot-level maintenance planning into at least one annual multinational exercise in the Indo-Pacific. This includes coordination with allies such as Australia and South Korea on maintenance capabilities, airworthiness certification, emergency planning, and logistics sustainment.

• Co-sponsored a floor amendment to require the DOD to study the impacts of burdensome Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Class IX recovery rates on depots and industrial facilities. Class IX refers to repair parts and components needed for the maintenance and repair of military equipment. When depots request parts from the DLA, they're often charged through a reimbursable system, essentially buying back their own parts or paying to restock. Since the DLA must recover its operating costs by setting higher prices for depots (which consume more Class IX items than other DOD customers), depots are often at a cost disadvantage.

• Co-sponsored a floor amendment to enable DOD depots and industrial facilities to write off debt and depreciation for government-directed mission changes. Depots often incur debts and depreciation of assets beyond their control as a result of government mandates from the DOD or respective branch.

• Co-sponsored a floor amendment to create and authorize the Baltic Security Initiative, a DOD initiative to help train and strengthen the armed forces of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to deter Russian aggression, increase NATO interoperability, and support military modernization on NATO's Eastern Flank.

Other wins in the NDAA for servicemembers, the military, and taxpayers:

• Provides all servicemembers a 3.8% pay raise.
• Excludes Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) from the Basic Needs Allowance, which could help more enlisted members qualify for food assistance.
• Authorizes $50 million in additional funding for barracks design and $50 million in minor construction for laboratories and demolition.
• Funds deployment of the National Guard and active-duty troops to the southwest border.
• Ends Biden-era wokeism in the DOD and dismantles DEI initiatives.
• Directs the DOD to study an alternative BAH calculation methodology, which could positively shift rates to better account for high-cost areas.
• Requires the Secretary of the Air Force to prioritize full sustainment of the Minuteman III program until the Sentinel system reaches full operational capability. This requires a strategy to include an assessment of aging components, performance shortfalls, test results, inventory status, attrition forecasts, and budget needs.
• Authorizes full funding for top Trump administration priorities, including the Golden Dome missile defense system, Sentinel ICBM program, F-47 next-generation fighter aircraft, and autonomous platforms.
• Provides continued support for the Columbia Class Submarine, a critical pillar of the U.S. nuclear triad and strategic deterrence posture that is set to replace the Navy's current force of aging Ohio-class nuclear submarines.
• Authorizes up to $1 billion in fiscal year 2026 to support the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative, which aims to bolster Taiwan's defense capabilities through DOD resources.

For more information on the FY26 NDAA, click here.