Congresswoman Schrier Votes to Pass NDAA

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08), voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an annual piece of legislation that authorizes defense programs to maintain military readiness and increase national security. The package includes provisions that will raise pay for service members, bolster access to quality healthcare and child care, and authorize millions to build new schools. This year's legislation finally reclaims Congress' war power authority, after delegating that responsibility to the president for decades.

"This bipartisan bill makes vital investments to bolster our national security at home and abroad, and support those brave service members who protect our country," said Congresswoman Schrier. "I'm proud to cast my vote to give our service members a much-deserved pay raise, provide proper oversight of the Trump Administration, and strengthen healthcare and child care access for our military personnel."

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 includes these key provisions:

• Provides a 3.8% pay raise for all service members and increases the Family Separation Allowance for deployed service members.
• Makes the most substantive reforms to the defense acquisition process and system in decades.
• Repeals the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Iraq, preventing further involvement in the Middle East without appropriate congressional oversight.
• Fences funding until the Secretary of Defense provides unedited videos of strikes that have occurred in the Caribbean, as well as copies of related classified Executive Orders.
• Makes necessary investments to maintain our standing across the globe by strengthening nuclear deterrence, expanding missile defense, and providing critical resources and authorities to counter adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
• Authorizes $491 million to build new child care centers, extends the Child Care in Your Home pilot program, and improves the fee assistance program rate cap for eligible community-based child care providers.
• Prevents the Department from reducing healthcare staff and expands travel reimbursement for specialty care.
• Requires an assessment of mental health staffing levels, wait times, and the availability of telehealth services.
• Authorizes over $206 million to build new Department of Defense Education Activity schools, authorizes $50 million in Impact Aid assistance, and allows Department schools to limit or ban student cell phone use.
• Allows retiring service members to move into civilian defense positions and establishes a transition assistance pilot program for military spouses.
• Authorizes $800 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative over two years and additional funding for the Baltic Security Initiative and Taiwan Security Initiative.

You can read more about the FY26 NDAA here.