Brownley Statement on the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act

Washington, DC - Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) issued the following statement in response to House passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026:

"Our servicemembers make extraordinary sacrifices in service to our nation. They deserve a defense bill that honors their service by strengthening our Armed Forces, advancing our military capabilities, meeting our global security challenges, and providing unwavering support to them and their families. Instead, for the third year in a row, House Republicans have hijacked the NDAA - a historically bipartisan bill - to further an extremely partisan and ideological agenda.

"Rather than supporting all who wear the uniform, Republicans have used this bill to promote an anti-woman and anti-LGBTQ agenda. It is loaded with discriminatory and harmful provisions that target women and members of the LGBTQ+ community, none of which have anything to do with military readiness. Among them are amendments that would deny medical care, restrict participation based on gender or sexual orientation, and undermine workplace recognition for servicemembers and their families, all while failing to advance our strategic capabilities. What should be a bill that strengthens our military has been turned into a vehicle for political theater, jeopardizing readiness, morale, and the critical missions our servicemembers carry out every day.

"I cannot, in good conscience, support a bill that weakens our Armed Forces by excluding women and LGBTQ+ servicemembers from full and equal participation. Our military's strength has always come from its diversity, talent, and unity of purpose. I urge the Senate to reject these harmful provisions and restore a bipartisan NDAA that invests in our military, honors all who serve, and strengthens America's security at home and abroad."

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Issues: 119th Congress, Defense, Military, National Security