FY26 Defense Appropriations Bill Approved by Appropriations Committee

Today, the House Appropriations Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Appropriations Bill introduced by Defense Subcommittee Chairman Ken Calvert.

“Keeping Americans safe amidst mounting national security threats around the world requires a significant and multi-faceted investment in our military,” said Chairman Calvert. “The FY26 Defense Appropriations Bill provides the resources necessary for maintaining American military superiority, leveraging our technological innovation into tactical advantages on the battlefield, and supporting the Defense Department’s most valuable assets – our warfighters. Together, with the significant defense funding advancing through Congress as part of the reconciliation process, the FY26 bill will lift total defense spending over $1 trillion in the next fiscal year, representing a historic commitment to strengthening and modernizing America’s national defense. I’m thankful for the contributions of Chairman Cole and my colleagues in shaping this important bill.”

The Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Appropriations Bill
 
In accordance with Chairman Calvert’s national security priorities, the bill invests in America’s military superiority, shapes a more efficient and effective Department of Defense, protects from threats at America’s border, and takes care of our troops and their families.

Champions America’s military superiority by:

• Enhancing investments in 5th and 6th generation aircraft including the F-35, F-47, and F/A-XX. 
• Supporting the modernization of the nuclear triad: the B-21 Raider, the Columbia Class Submarine, and Sentinel.
• Targeting resources for unmanned aerial systems, uncrewed maritime platforms, and land-based counter-unmanned aerial systems to advance capabilities and strengthen our national defense.
• Investing in national security space, including proliferated missile warning, missile tracking satellites, and next generation intelligence collection systems to ensure national leaders have real-time global situational awareness.
• Allocating approximately $13 billion for missile defense and space programs to augment and integrate in support of the Golden Dome effort.
• Providing over $2.6 billion for hypersonics programs.
• Reversing the “divest to invest” trend by preserving F-15s and U-2s while investing in next-generation fighters and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems.
• Continuing to prioritize innovation through over $1.3 billion combined for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT), and Office of Strategic Capital (OSC).
• Strengthening our defense industrial base by investing $131 million in a Civil Reserve Manufacturing Network.
• Supporting our close ally Israel by providing $500 million for the Israeli Cooperative Missile Defense Programs, and $122.5 million for U.S.-Israel cooperative development programs.

Cares for our troops and their families by:

• Including an increase of 3.8% in basic pay for all military personnel effective January 1, 2026.
• Continuing historic pay increases enacted in Fiscal Year 2025 for junior enlisted servicemembers.
• Improving quality of life, readiness, and continuity for servicemembers by slowing permanent change of station moves, saving over $662 million.

Shapes a more efficient and effective Department of Defense by:

• Reducing $3.6 billion and almost 45,000 civilian full-time equivalents to capture Workforce Acceleration and Recapitalization Initiative efforts.
• Prioritizing fiscal sanity and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse through codifying both the Department’s cooperation with DOGE and streamlined functions and management improvements at the Pentagon.
• Requiring detailed reporting on the Department’s proposed allocations and expenditures of reconciliation.

Combats international actors who facilitate drug trafficking and manufacturing by:

• Providing $1.15 billion for counter drug programs, which is $245 million above the budget request.
• Increasing funding for the National Guard Counterdrug Program.
• Transferring Mexico from U.S. Northern Command’s jurisdiction to U.S. Southern Command for better coordination and prioritization.

A summary of the bill is available here.

Bill text is available here.

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