Congressman Fong Secures Critical Innovation Wins for the Military in 2026 Defense Appropriations Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Last night, Congressman Vince Fong (CA-20) voted to advance the Defense Appropriations Act, 2026, which provides $831.5 billion in essential funding to support our nation by investing in America's military superiority, protecting from threats at our nation's border, and taking care of our troops and their families. Importantly, this legislation provides a 3.8% basic pay raise for all military personnel and continues historic pay raises enacted in fiscal year 2025 for junior enlisted servicemembers.

"This meaningful vote for the 2026 Defense Appropriations Act strengthens our military, secures our borders, and ensures our warfighters maintain every advantage on the battlefield," said Congressman Fong. "The threats we face today are more formidable than at any point in the last 20 years. To overcome them, we must strengthen our defense innovation ecosystem especially at our local military installations. That's why I worked to secure key provisions in this bill that keep our military ahead of the curve, including infrastructure upgrades for the AFRL Rocket Lab, funding for the Naval Air Warfare Rapid Capabilities Office, and several AI initiatives that will enhance our national security through smarter, faster technology. I will continue to prioritize the thousands of active duty servicemembers who call our community home, as well as their families, and ensure they have the resources they need to defend our country."

Specifically, Congressman Fong secured the following provisions in the legislation:

• $7 million to upgrade key infrastructure for the AFRL Rocket Lab at Edwards Air Force Base. This funding would be used to recapitalize layered tanks, which are a critical component of rocket testing.
• $5 million to pilot AI-enabled software upgrades within DOD's Insider Threat Program. With recent national security breaches from bad actors inside the Department, our military needs stronger tools to safeguard sensitive systems, so that we can better protect our most important defense capabilities from foreign threats.
• $4 million to the Naval Air Warfare Rapid Capabilities Office, which will bolster important work underway at NAWS China Lake. As global threats evolve, our naval aviation and electronic warfare systems must progress even faster to keep our fleet agile and lethal.
• $12.7 million in AI-powered command and control for global mobility operations. This will boost our nation's airlift and tanker missions by predicting battlefield conditions before a mission even launches.

Learn more about the Defense Appropriations Act, 2026, here.