Senator Coons celebrates passage of four bills as part of FY26 National Defense Authorization Act

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) applauded the Senate's passage of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a $901 billion package authorizing funding for our nation's armed services for fiscal year 2026, and the four component bills Senator Coons introduced that were included in the final package. It now moves to the president's desk for his signature.

"We are living through the most dangerous moment of my lifetime, and we need a military that defends our values and keeps Americans safe," said Senator Coons. "Not only does this bill ensure that our military remains the strongest in the world - it also contains crucial provisions that will fight the alignment of our adversaries, combat China's efforts to establish threatening military installations overseas, support Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad, and strengthen the global market share of our nuclear energy industry at the expense of China and Russia. I'm proud to have fought for these provisions, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure they are executed faithfully."

The Senate passed the NDAA earlier today by a vote of 77-20. Senator Coons was unable to make the vote as he was attending the dignified transfer ceremony of service members killed in Syria at Dover Air Force Base. However, he voted to advance the NDAA earlier this week and announced in a video message this morning that he would have voted for the NDAA's final passage if present.

The NDAA includes four of Senator Coons' bills:

• The Defending International Security by Restricting Unlawful Partnerships and Tactics (DISRUPT) Act: Introduced with Senator Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), this bill addresses the dangerous and growing cooperation between U.S. adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The bill directs the national security enterprise to monitor the risks posed and requires the federal government to develop a strategy to address this threat to U.S. national security.
• The Combating PRC Overseas and Unlawful Networked Threats through Enhanced Resilience (COUNTER) Act: Introduced with Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), this bill combats China's growing efforts to build military bases around the world. The bill requires an intelligence assessment of the threats posed by China's expanding global military reach as well as the creation of a tailored solution to face this challenge.
• The Countering Wrongful Detention Act: Introduced with Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), this bill gives the U.S. more tools to discourage states from wrongfully detaining Americans abroad and support detainees when they come home. The bill creates a "State Sponsor of Unlawful or Wrongful Detention" designation, which will allow the Secretary of State to impose new penalties on countries that wrongfully detain Americans.
• The International Nuclear Energy Act: Introduced with Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Mike Lee (R-Utah), this bill will support the U.S. nuclear energy industry and offset China and Russia's growing influence on international nuclear energy development. The programs created by the bill will support our allies and partners, especially those reliant on Russian energy in Eastern Europe, so they can use nuclear power to help meet their energy needs.

Senator Coons is the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. He is also a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.