Joyce Supports Soldiers and National Security with House Passage of FY26 Defense Authorization Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) voted in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26). This legislation raises pay and benefits for our troops and their families, streamlines our acquisition process to promote military readiness, saves taxpayer dollars through multiple budget reforms, and provides our soldiers with cutting-edge technology on the battlefield.

“The passage of this year’s NDAA ensures that our military will have the resources they need to respond to any threat we face across the globe,” said Congressman Joyce. “Taking care of our troops and their families, cutting red tape for weapons procurement, and cutting out unnecessary spending in the Pentagon are all commonsense reforms that will refocus our military to its core mission. I was proud to see it pass the House with some of the major priorities I fought to include.”

This year’s NDAA includes three of Joyce’s priorities:

1. An amendment that requires the Department of Defense (DoD) to carry out a two-year pilot program to insert suicide prevention resources onto smart devices issued to members of the Armed Forces and to provide training on these resources.
2. An amendment that authorizes Project Spectrum, a DoD Small Business Office program launched under the first Trump Administration that provides grants to small businesses to help them shore up their cybersecurity so they can compete for DoD contracts.
3. An amendment that directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a report outlining a plan to establish and disseminate a clear definition of the reenlistment waiver process. The report should clarify that existing enlistment standards allow waivers for individuals seeking to reenlist after a positive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) toxicology test and assess the feasibility of contacting those previously denied for legal cannabis use, helping ensure that qualified and motivated individuals still have the opportunity to serve their country.

In addition to Joyce’s amendments, the FY26 NDAA:

1. Provides a 3.8% pay raise for all service members.
2. Increases access to healthcare, childcare, and housing for our service members.
3. Reduces decision timelines for our acquisition system from nearly three years to as few as 90 days.
4. Directs the Department of Defense to remove barriers that prevent the adoption of commercial innovation.
5. Saves $1.2 billion from retiring obsolete weapons programs and saves $5 billion with cuts to inefficient defense programs.
6. Requires the Department of Defense to review the standards, guidance, and policies that inform the use of digital engineering across the military services to help accelerate program design, development, and testing.
7. Pushes back on China by extending the Pacific Deterrence Initiative to enhance U.S. posture in the Indo-Pacific region.

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