Rep. Sykes Votes to Support Servicemembers and Military Families in NDAA

Rep. Sykes Votes to Support Servicemembers and Military Families in NDAA

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) voted in favor of the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (NDAA), the country's annual national defense bill. The legislation includes a 3.8 percent pay raise for all servicemembers, a 20 percent increase in the Family Separation Allowance, and key military construction investments that will strengthen Ohio installations and the communities that support them.

"The recent government shutdown and the threat of missing paychecks put enormous strain on military members and their families. It has never been clearer that we must do more to support our men and women in uniform who sacrifice so much for our nation," said Rep. Sykes. The military is one of the most diverse institutions in the country, with many servicemembers coming from communities of color and lower-income backgrounds. I will always work to ensure they receive the pay, benefits, and support they deserve. I voted in favor of this bipartisan legislation to deliver long-overdue pay raises, strengthen military families, and invest in critical projects here in Ohio."

"At the same time, I am disappointed that the majority once again used this bipartisan bill to score political points at the expense of our servicemembers and their families. The House-passed NDAA originally included a provision restoring collective bargaining rights for Department of Defense employees whose rights were revoked by the Trump Administration, but this language was removed in the final conference text. Still, the bill makes meaningful progress, including expanding access to affordable child care and improving access to nutritious foods on military bases."

Rep. Sykes offered amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2026, including:

• An amendment to add the Retreaded Tire Jobs, Supply Chain Security and Sustainability Act of 2025 to the NDAA to ensure that the U.S. government uses retreaded tires wherever possible rather than using cheap foreign tires. Akron, known as the "Rubber Capitol of the World" is home to several leading American tire manufacturers including Goodyear and Bridgestone.
• An amendment to add the Airship Improvement Research for Safety and Humanitarian Innovation Projects Act, or the AIRSHIPS Act to the NDAA to support research of civil use cases for airships, often referred to as blimps, that could contribute to national defense; provide economic, sustainable and clean air cargo transportation; support disaster response efforts; and provide humanitarian aid to people and areas in need.
• An amendment urging the Department of Defense to collaborate with Tech Hubs to accelerate defense innovations in partnership with academia and industry.
• An amendment creating a pilot program for food farmacies to increase access to low-cost, healthy foods on or nearby military bases.
• An amendment directing the Department of Defense to establish an initiative to accelerate the research and development of innovative, sustainable polymer processing and manufacturing to support next generation technologies built on a resilient polymer supply chain.

The National Defense Authorization Act of 2026 includes $890 billion in authorized spending including:

• $1.5 billion in new construction of barracks, dormitories, housing, and child development centers;
• $400 million to reauthorize the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) for two years;
• $114.6 million for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions;
• $50 million for local educational agencies with military dependent students;
• $20 million for local educational agencies eligible to receive payment for children with severe disabilities.

Pay and Compensation

• Enacts a 3.8% pay raise for all service members.
• 20% increase in the Family Separation Allowance, additional pay given to service members whose family members cannot live with or near them at their permanent duty station.
• Expands access to food on military installations by granting the Services authorities to conduct pilot programs to reform their food programs.

Healthcare

• Expands mental health services to meet the unique needs of the Cyber Mission Force.
• Prohibits the DoD from reducing military medical personnel and increases access to specialty care by lowering the threshold for travel reimbursement for a medical appointment from 100 miles to 75.