Vote Explainer - 2026 National Defense Authorization Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) today issued the following statement regarding his decision to vote against the National Defense Authorization Act. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Moulton plays an active role in the creation of this annual, must-pass legislation, which dictates our nation's defense priorities and has historically been a bipartisan process.

"I voted no on this year's defense budget because our nation deserves better than this divisive, partisan bill.

"For nine months, I worked alongside my Democratic and Republican colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee to build and pass a bipartisan bill that would strengthen our military, support our troops, and send a clear message to our allies and our adversaries of strength and unity. We achieved that in committee. Yet despite our best, bipartisan efforts, Republican House leadership decided to blow it all up and go down a partisan path, putting a bill on the floor that would protect a toxic and dysfunctional Pentagon under Secretary Hegseth where politics comes first, morale is in the gutter, and our troops are the target of a culture war.

"The politicized version of the bill put forward yesterday included far right culture provisions designed to pander to the extreme right wing of the Republican party, while refusing to even debate the serious concerns with how the Department is being run today - including the rampant politicization of the military, Trump's deployment of the National Guard and active duty Marines in American cities, the use of the military to support ICE raids, lethal strikes with no legal justification, and a continued pattern of poor leadership, from firing senior generals without cause to the serious concerns with Pete Hegseth's competence and judgment.

"We should show America and the world that we are united behind our troops, and united in defense of our nation. This bill sadly and starkly fails that test.

"If Republicans want to protect a failing Pentagon and continue to throw our military into the middle of partisan politics, that's on them. But I will not be a part of that. That's why I voted no."

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