Rep. Gabe Vasquez Votes to Advance Bipartisan National Defense Bill, Supports Ending War in Iran

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On June 4, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) - a member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) - voted in support of the bipartisan Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (FY27 NDAA), which included multiple of his amendments to support New Mexico. The NDAA is the annual, flagship bill that guides U.S. defense priorities and spending for the year.

The FY27 NDAA includes significant investments in quality of life for active-duty servicemembers and their families, including $2 billion to improve barracks and a 3.6% pay raise for troops. The bill also includes the creation of a new Joint Task Force Audit, which would provide more rigorous spending oversight to ensure taxpayer dollars used by DoD are spent ethically and efficiently.

"Today, I voted to support the active servicemen and women of the U.S. military, their families, and New Mexico's military communities and the local economies that revolve around them. This bill brings $2.1 billion in total investment to our state, and I'm proud to continue supporting our military bases, research facilities, and pay raises for our brave servicemen and women," said Vasquez.

"While I continue to support strengthening our nation's national defense, I voted in committee to strongly oppose the President's illegal war with Iran and to strip Section 224 from the bill which unnecessarily ties the U.S. to Israel," added Vasquez. "We cannot reward a nation responsible for mass civilian casualties in Gaza and constant violent aggression in the West Bank and Lebanon. The illegal war in Iran, Israeli settler violence, and atrocities in Gaza must stop. I will continue to support our military and work to improve this bill as it heads to the full House."

Ten of Vasquez's amendments were included in the NDAA, including:

• Report requirement on El Paso Airport closure - this amendment requires the Department of Defense to provide a report on its coordination process with DHS and FAA that caused the chaotic closure of the El Paso Airport in February and how such incidents can be prevented in the future
• Update on status of directed energy testing - this amendment requires the DoD to share information and data on the safety, feasibility, capabilities of directed energy drones being used or tested domestically by DoD to keep our country safe while preventing incidents like the El Paso Airport closure from happening again
• Report on intergovernmental PFAS cleanup efforts - this amendment directs the DoD to deliver a report on how the DoD is using intergovernmental service agreements to partner with state government agencies to conduct PFAS cleanup near military installations like Cannon Air Force Base
• Demand for publicly-accessible digital maps of National Defense Areas (NDA) - this amendment encourages the DoD to provide publicly-accessible data to support digitizing maps of National Defense Area boundaries along the U.S.-Mexico border, updating them in real time and providing notice of changes so members of the public have transparency regarding NDA boundaries and hunters, hikers, and public land users know where these areas are located
• Support for missile range and testing facilities modernization - this amendment asks the DoD to modernize Missile Range and Testing Facilities, including White Sands Missile Range
• Report on intergovernmental housing agreements - this amendment urges the DoD to explore the use of intergovernmental housing agreements with state governments to address housing shortages for servicemembers in military communities such as Alamogordo
• Measure to curb China's influence in Latin America and the Caribbean - this amendment presses the DoD to support partnerships with foreign militaries in Latin America and the Caribbean to quell China's growing influence in the region
• Briefing on weapon system preparedness for the future - this amendment requests a briefing for Congress on the status of military weapon system survivability under multiple, layered harsh battlefield conditions (including nuclear blasts, thermal radiation, chemical and biological contamination and more).
• Update from Air Force on digital airworthiness certifications - this amendment requires the Air Force to examine the feasibility of digitally certifying unmanned aircraft such as MQ-9 drones at Holloman Air Force Base to determine payload capacity and safety standards

In addition to these amendments, Vasquez secured an additional 2.1 billion for New Mexico and other provisions:

• Cannon Air Force Base: $10 million for upgrades to troop dormitories
• Kirtland Air Force Base: $250 million for the Space Force Operational Facility
• Los Alamos National Laboratory: Nearly $1.5 billion for plutonium modernization projects, $88.7 million to construct an additional project support building, and nearly $294 million for environmental cleanup
• Sandia National Laboratory: Over $1 million for environmental cleanup
• New Mexico National Guard: $11 million for vehicle maintenance facilities at the New Mexico National Guard's Rio Rancho training site

Other key provisions in the NDAA include:

• Infrastructure: $25 billion for military construction projects, including the $2 billion for new construction of quality-of-life infrastructure such as barracks, dormitories, and government-owned family housing. Rep. Vasquez continues to actively press Secretary Hegseth to ensure these investments are making their way back to New Mexico to improve quality of life for servicemembers and their families and update outdated, at-capacity barracks.
• Education & Childcare: $50 million to assist local educational agencies with military-dependent students, as well as a measure that establishes a Student Internship Program to improve the pipeline of military childcare providers.
• Healthcare: Installs protections for on-base healthcare for retirees at Military Medical Treatment Facilities, including at Cannon AFB, and launches a program to improve obstetrical and gynecological care for TRICARE beneficiaries.
• Workforce: Supercharges recruitment efforts for civilian talent in critical technologies such as AI, cybersecurity, and biotechnology.
• Reaffirming Key Alliances with Strategic Partners in Europe: Protects longstanding strategic alliances with European partners by securing $210 for EUCOM security cooperation (with $175 million assured for the Baltic region), extending limitations on EUCOM force posture reductions, and requiring prepositioned equipment in Europe to remain in place. This comes amidst the Administration's efforts to roll back strategic military alliances in Europe.

Rep. Vasquez supported the following amendments to end the war in Iran and to oppose the expansion of U.S.-Israeli military partnerships:

• Cosponsored and voted for Amendment 6626: Expressing a sense of disapproval for the war in Iran and calling for an end to this senseless conflict.
• Voted for Amendment 6897: Stripping Section 224 of the NDAA which would strengthen U.S.-Israeli military cooperation on the American taxpayers' dime

The bill passed 44 to 12, with Vasquez joining 11 Democrats in support of passage. The bill now moves to consideration by the whole House.

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