Díaz-Balart Applauds House Passage of Final FY26 Appropriations Package Delivering for American Priorities While Cutting Wasteful Spending

Washington, D.C.- Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26), Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee and member of the Defense Subcommittee, issued the following statement after House passage of H.R. 7148, which funds the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations for Defense, Labor-HHS-Education, and Transportation and Housing and Urban Development; and H.R. 7147, which funds the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security:

"House Republicans have delivered on our promise to the American people by passing legislation that prioritizes America's security, prosperity, and future, while cutting wasteful spending, rooting out inefficiencies, and ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly. The appropriations package once again demonstrates that, under Chairman Tom Cole's steadfast leadership, we are fulfilling our fundamental duty to serve the American people by keeping the government funded and avoiding another disastrous government shutdown.

These bills strengthen America's deterrence by supporting the day-to-day readiness of our brave men and women in uniform, investing in proven priorities that save lives and expand opportunity, modernizing our transportation and transit systems, and protecting the homeland from terrorists, narco-traffickers, criminals, and others who wish us harm.

Importantly, these bills reflect a disciplined approach to governance, targeting funding toward proven priorities, eliminating duplicative and outdated programs, and demanding accountability from federal agencies.

I commend Chairman Tom Cole for these accomplishments and thank Subcommittee Chairmen Ken Calvert, Robert Aderholt, and Steve Womack for working directly with me to address key priorities in Florida and for my constituents in FL-26."

Below are Funding Highlights for Florida's 26th Congressional District:

Bolsters our Defense capabilities and provides for our servicemen and women

• Directs the Secretary of Defense to maintain the current U.S. Southern Command(SOUTHCOM) headquarters and mission, recognizing its critical role in protecting U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere, countering transnational threats such as drug trafficking, and promoting stability throughout Latin America and the Caribbean
• $350.8M for SOUTHCOMand counternarcotics activity
• Delivers a 3.8% pay raise for all service membersand continues historic pay increases for junior enlisted service members
• $27B increase over the FY23 enacted level, and directs that funding to critical national defense efforts, including countering the People's Republic of China (PRC), increasing counternarcotics efforts, and investing in quality-of-life initiatives for servicemembers and their families
• Maxes out production of critical munitions
• Doubles security cooperation funding for Taiwan
• Invests in next-generation fighter aircraft, helicopters, tactical combat vehicles, and submarines
• Prohibits the President from being able to close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility or transfer detainees to the United States.
• Prohibits funding for the Wuhan Institute of Virology and EcoHealth Alliance in China.
• Local businesses in FL-26with proven products are allowed to compete for $35M for the Enhanced Ballistic Armor Protection Systems
• Invests in 5th and 6^th-generation aircraft
• Continues modernizing the nuclear triad and invests in the new Golden Dome missile defense system
• Accelerates funding for hypersonic weapon systems
• Includes funding for 17 new ships

Supports our local community with over $30M for local projects

• $9M for the Collier County VeteransCommunityCenterProject
• $7.2M for the Everglades CityCommunityCenterProject
• $2M for the Feasibility Analysis for Proposed Interchange at I-75 and Everglades BoulevardProject
• $6M for the I-75 Project Development and Environmental Study, NW 107thStreet and NW 154th Street Project
• $973,000 for the Miami Lakes Big CypressDrainage Improvements Project
• $4.9M for the City of Hialeah Southeast HialeahStormwater Improvements Project

Continues the investments into our nation's infrastructure and public safety

• $145M for the National Transportation Safety Board, a critical independent agency in the wake of near-misses at airports nationwide and train derailments.
• $4B for facilities and equipment through the FAA
• $10.34B to fully fund air traffic control operations and allow the FAA to hire 2,500 air traffic controllers to replace the retiring workforce
• $309.5M through the Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Administration, to fully fund safety efforts with increases to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to hazardous materials incidents

Provides housing opportunities to our most vulnerable populations

• Increased to $18.543B for Project-Based Rental Assistance, which provides full renewal of housing contracts serving 1.3 million households
• Increased to $1.03M for Housing for the Elderly, which provides a full renewal of housing contracts serving 123,000 households
• Increase to $287M for Housing for Persons with Disabilities, serving 33,000 households
• Maintains housing assistance for vulnerable Americans, including the elderly disabled, and veterans by:
• Providing full renewal for all currently-leased, tenant-based rental assistance vouchers, all project-based rental assistance contracts, and all housing for the elderly and persons with disabilities contracts
• Rental assistance vouchers for veterans
• Funding for the Melania Trump foster youth rental assistance vouchers
• Increase to $4.4B for Homeless Assistance Grants
• $3.3B for Community Development Block Grants
• $529M for housing for persons living with HIV/AIDS, the elderly, and persons with disabilities
• $158M for Neighborworks, helping local communities' partner with the public and private sector to provide housing

Supporting our seniors

• Increase to $16.2M for Prostate Cancer research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• $10M for providing increased access to Advanced Cancer Screening in Underserved Communities
• $180M for Polio Eradication
• $2.5B for Older Americans Act programs

Ensuring the safety of our schools

• $5M for the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center, to provide critical training for our nation's schools, houses of worship, and communities
• Report language regarding research and training on targeted school violence conducted by the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center
• Report language reiterating grant eligibility under the Urban Areas Security Initiative and State Homeland Security Grants for school hardening measures like, bullet resistant doors and glass; suing-locking mechanisms; immediate notification to emergency 911 systems; and installation of countermeasure technology administrated by law enforcement to provide real time actionable response during threats

Promoting early childhood development, school-choice and higher education

• $12.4B for Head Start
• Increased to $500M for Charter Schools Grants
• $231M for Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions Program
• $22.47B for Pell Grants and sets the maximum award to $6,335
• $15.49B for special education

Continuing the fight against the opioid epidemic

• $1.583B for State Targeted Response to Opioid Crisis Grants
• Increase to $7M for Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers
• Increased funding to $299M for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program

Ensuring resources to keep our nation and communities safe

• Supporting security preparation and planning for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and other major events:
• $44.6M for National Special Security Events
• $25M to support security efforts
• $3.4M for Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems
• $100M for supplemental support for transit agencies in the 11 U.S. host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
• Bolstering disaster preparedness, response, and recovery efforts for U.S. communities through increased grant funding for firefighters and first responders
• $26.4B for the Disaster Relief Fund to support response and recovery efforts following major disasters and emergencies
• $398.1M for Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers to strengthen training capacity and enhance public safety
• $684M for Assistance to Firefighters and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants to recruit, train, and equip frontline firefighters
• Securing our border by providing $513M to sustain 22,000 Border Patrol agents
• Enhancing resources to detect and counter the spread of deadly drugs, like fentanyl, that poison our communities
• Protect critical infrastructure, prevent cyberattacks, and strengthen cybersecurity resilience:
• $2.6B for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
• $20M to hire critical positions at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to counter the threat from China
• $13.9B for the U.S. Coast Guard for maritime security, search and rescue and law enforcement
• $300M for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to support houses of worship and other eligible organizations at risk of a terrorist attack
• $6.1B for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening workforce
• $1.9M for the Federal Emergency Management Agency Over-the-Road Bus Security grants for transportation infrastructure security activities
• $297.1M for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Hazard Mapping and Risk Analysis Program to help communities identify, assess, and mitigate their flood risk

Other district priorities included in the funding bills

• Maintains $1.9B to support community health centers that provide affordable, accessible, and high-quality health care in underserved communities.
• $2.57B for the Ryan White HIV/AIDSProgram 
• $25M for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Infectious Diseases Rapid Response Reserve Fund, an account I have long supported and fought for
• $27.8M for Poison Control Centers in the Department of Health and Human Services
• $19M for survivors of torture in the Department of Health and Human Services
• $2.3B for the program integrity to safeguard the Social Security system for all Americans
• $83.2B for the Social Security Administration to support frontline services for America's seniors and other beneficiaries through field office visits, calls, and online services

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