December 10, 2025

Congressman Blake Moore’s Statement on Final House Passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026

WASHINGTON – Congressman Blake Moore issued the following statement on his vote in support of the final passage of the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):

“As co-chair of the House Military Depot Caucus and the House Air Force Caucus, I am thrilled that several of my bipartisan policy measures to strengthen the defense industrial base and long-term health of facilities like the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill Air Force Base and Tooele Army Depot were included in the final FY26 NDAA. This year’s NDAA provides improved resources for Utah service members and their families, strengthens American leadership and military deterrence against our adversaries, and ensures our armed forces are receiving the tools they need to remain second to none on the global stage. This annual bill is critical to our national security, and I am grateful to have provided a voice from Utah in crafting this legislation.”

Congressman Moore directly secured several wins in the FY26 NDAA that help advance the military's mission set and benefit service members at Hill Air Force Base (HAFB) and worked closely with the House Armed Services Committee to include several standalone amendments and bills adopted in the final version, including:

  • An amendment to widen the definition of “direct hire authority” for depots and industrial facilities, led in conjunction with Senator James Lankford (R-OK). This new definition includes supporting staff and units such as program and management analysts, facilities mechanics, training instructors, and those involved in safety/occupational health. It enables facilities like HAFB to use direct hire authority to quickly hire new staff, manage attrition, recruit for increased workload, and reduce reliance on private contractors.

  • The FALCON Act, which requires the U.S. Air Force to incorporate depot-level maintenance planning into at least one annual multinational exercise in the Indo-Pacific. This includes coordination with allies such as Australia and South Korea on maintenance capabilities, airworthiness certification, emergency planning, and logistics sustainment.

  • The full authorization of the Baltic Security Initiative, a DOD initiative to help train and strengthen the armed forces of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to deter Russian aggression, increase NATO interoperability, and support $175 million in military modernization funds for NATO’s Eastern Flank.

  • Increases to the Basic Allowance for Housing and the Basic Allowance for Subsistence, for the purpose of widening eligibility for more lower-enlisted service members and their families to qualify for food assistance.

Other wins in the NDAA for HAFB service members, Utah's military community, and military members across the United States:

  • Provides a 3.8% pay raise for all service members.

  • Authorizes over $250 million in military construction projects at Hill Air Force Base, including:

    • $2.6 million in planning and design funds for an F–35 canopy repair facility

    • $22 million for the construction of a new F–35 maintenance facility on the East Campus

    • $113 million for the construction of a new T–7A depot maintenance complex

  • Authorizes $28 million for energy resilience and grid security at Camp Williams.

  • Authorizes $145 million for a Utah Air National Guard-led land conveyance and expansion project at Salt Lake City International Airport.

  • Authorizes $50 million in additional funding for barracks design and $50 million in minor construction for laboratories and demolition.

  • Requires the Secretary of the Air Force to prioritize full sustainment of the Minuteman III program until the Sentinel program, based in Northern Utah, reaches full operational capability. This requires an assessment of aging components, performance shortfalls, test results, inventory status, attrition forecasts, and budget needs.

  • Funds deployment of the National Guard and active-duty troops to the southwest border.

  • Ends Biden-era wokeism in the DOD and dismantles DEI initiatives.

  • Directs the DOD to study an alternative Basic Allowance for Housing calculation methodology, which could positively shift rates to better account for high-cost areas.

Key national security-related measures in the NDAA include:

  • Authorizes over $1 billion to fight drug trafficking, including $398 million for DOD support of Counter Narcotics operations and $216 million for National Guard Counter Drug programs—$100 million over the President’s budget request.

  • Authorizes full funding for top Trump administration priorities, including the Golden Dome missile defense system, Sentinel ICBM program, F-47 next-generation fighter aircraft, and autonomous platforms.

  • Reauthorizes U.S. intelligence community activities for FY26, Coast Guard authorities for FY26-FY27, and the Department of State.

  • Provides continued support for the development of the Columbia Class Submarine, a critical pillar of the U.S. nuclear triad and strategic deterrence posture.

  • Prohibits or requires notification of outbound U.S. investments into sensitive technologies in China, including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, semiconductors, quantum technologies, high-performance computing, and hypersonics. This ensures U.S. businesses cannot promote China's military modernization.

  • Ensures that Chinese biotechnology companies of concern are blocked from U.S. federal contracts, grants, or loans, thus benefiting from federal research programs.

  • Requires U.S. military force posture in Europe and South Korea to remain at current levels to deter adversaries like Russia and North Korea from threatening U.S. treaty allies and further destabilizing the national security environment.

  • Imposes new oversight requirements on the Pentagon regarding operations against designated terrorist organizations in the United States Southern Command area of responsibility.

You can read the full bill on Congress.gov.

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